It is Maria Corina Machado who earned the Nobel Peace Prize 2025, leader of the Venezuelan opposition who already last year received the Sakharov Prize for freedom of thought, the most important recognition for human rights in Europe, together with Edmundo Gonzalez Urritia. Today the Oslo Committee recognizes it as “extraordinary example of civil courage in Latin America in recent times“.
This year there were 338 nominees and, although the full list of names is kept jealously guarded, US President Donald Trump had made no secret of his desire to win the coveted prize.
But this was not the case and, although Machado is not exactly far from that type of ideals (in interviews, Machado has defined Trump’s foreign policy towards Venezuela as “an opportunity” to push towards a democratic transition.
Maria Corina Machado, the woman who challenges the Venezuelan regime with the strength of democracy
In a country where democracy is now just a memory, Maria Corina Machado has become the face of civil courage. Leader of the democratic opposition in Venezuela, he is today one of the most emblematic figures in the peaceful struggle against the authoritarian regime of Nicolás Maduro.
Machado has been able to unite a historically divided political front, leading a movement that demands free elections and a representative government. A simple but revolutionary request in a country where freedom of expression is suffocated and repression is the order of the day.
Over the past twenty years, Venezuela has gone from being a prosperous, democratic nation to authoritarian and impoverished state. Today, most citizens live in extreme poverty, while power remains concentrated in the hands of a few. The humanitarian crisis pushed almost eight million people to flee, making it one of the largest migrations in recent history.
Founder of the organization Súmate, created to promote democratic participation, Machado immediately chose the path of the ballot box instead of that of violence. “It was a choice between ballots and bullets,” he once said. Since then, he has dedicated his life to the defense of human rights, judicial independence and popular representation.
In 2024 she was the most credible opposition candidate for the presidency of Venezuela, but the regime has blocked her candidacy, preventing her from participating in the elections. However, Machado continued the fight by supporting another candidate, Edmundo González Urrutiaand mobilizing hundreds of thousands of volunteers who monitored the polls to avoid fraud and destruction of votes. Despite threats, arrests and violence, Venezuelan citizens resisted peacefully, demonstrating that hope can survive even under a regime.
This year’s Nobel Peace Prize laureate Maria Corina Machado has led the struggle for democracy in the face of…
Posted by Nobel Prize on Friday, October 10, 2025
The election results, made public thanks to independent counts, showed the victory of the opposition. But the regime refused to recognize them, maintaining power by force. Despite this, Machado’s movement marked a historic moment for Venezuela: a organized, peaceful and courageous civil resistance, which gave millions of people a voice again.
His commitment is now recognized internationally. The Norwegian Nobel Committee, which throughout history has rewarded those who peacefully opposed repression, sees in Maria Corina Machado a figure who embodies the ideals of peace, democracy and freedom.
Today Machado lives in hiding to escape death threats, but has never left the country. His choice to stay became an act of resistance, a powerful message for those who still believe in the possibility of changing things without hatred and violence.
His example reminds us that democracy is never guaranteed, but must be defended every day — with courage, with words, with actions.
Maria Corina Machado represents living proof that Peace can only arise from real freedom, one that allows every citizen to choose their own destiny.
