Venezuelan opposition leader and pro-democracy activist Maria Corina Machado has been awarded the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize, the Norwegian Nobel Committee announced on Friday.
Machado was recognised for her relentless advocacy for democratic freedoms in Venezuela and her efforts toward a peaceful transition from authoritarian rule to democracy.
“She has been a unifying voice in a fractured opposition movement, standing firm against an oppressive regime while her country faces a deep humanitarian and economic crisis,” said Jorgen Watne Frydnes, Chair of the Nobel Committee, during the announcement in Oslo.
The committee praised Machado’s personal courage, noting that she has remained in Venezuela despite grave threats to her safety and periods of living in hiding over the past year.
“Her choice to stay and fight for democratic reform has inspired millions across Latin America,” Frydnes added.
Former U.S. President Donald Trump, who began his second term in January, had openly expressed his desire to win the prize, claiming credit for various conflict resolution efforts globally.
However, Nobel observers said his “America First” policies and self-promotion were at odds with the values enshrined in Alfred Nobel’s 1895 will, which emphasizes peace, diplomacy, and human rights.
“His chances were never serious,” noted an Oslo-based analyst ahead of the prize announcement.
The Nobel Peace Prize, awarded exclusively in Oslo, comes with a gold medal, a diploma, and a $1.2 million cash award.
The official ceremony will be held on December 10, marking the anniversary of Alfred Nobel’s death in 1896.
Last year’s Peace Prize went to Nihon Hidankyo, a Japanese grassroots group of atomic bomb survivors advocating against nuclear weapons.
On Thursday, the Nobel Prize in Literature was awarded to Hungarian author Laszlo Krasznahorkai, acclaimed for his postmodern explorations of despair and dystopia.
The final Nobel award this year, for Economics, will be announced on Monday.
