Who Is Maria Corina Machado? The Venezuelan Leader Who Won the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize

International News: The Norwegian Nobel Committee has awarded the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize to Maria Corina Machado, a Venezuelan opposition leader, for her tireless work to promote democratic rights and her struggle for a peaceful change from dictatorship to democracy. “The Nobel Peace Prize for 2025 goes to a brave and committed champion of peace – to a woman who keeps democracy alive in dark times,” the Committee said during the announcement. Before the result, there was speculation that former US President Donald Trump might win the prize.

A Symbol of Courage and Hope

Machado is one of the most important figures in Venezuela’s democracy movement. She represents great courage in Latin America’s political struggle. For many years, she has stood against Nicolás Maduro’s oppressive government, facing arrests, threats, and persecution. Even though her safety is always at risk, she has chosen to stay in Venezuela, inspiring millions through her message of peaceful resistance and the demand for free elections. The Nobel Committee praised her as a uniting figure who brought together a divided opposition. During the disputed 2024 Venezuelan election, when she was banned from running, she supported Edmundo González Urrutia as the opposition candidate. She helped organize citizens to watch polling stations, record vote counts, and expose electoral fraud, even when the government tried to silence her supporters. The Committee stated, “Maria Corina Machado has shown that the tools of democracy are also tools of peace. She represents the hope of a better future where people’s basic rights are protected, and their voices are respected.”

Her Journey and Achievements

Political leader and activist: Machado is the National Coordinator of Vente Venezuela, a liberal political party she helped create in 2013. She also served as a Member of the National Assembly from 2010 to 2015. Founder of democracy groups: She co-founded Súmate, a group promoting free elections, and SoyVenezuela, a coalition pushing for a democratic transition. Voice of resistance: In 2014, she was expelled from parliament after speaking out against human rights abuses at the Organization of American States. She has faced charges of treason, travel bans, and political restrictions. International recognition: Machado has received many global honors, including being named among BBC’s 100 Most Influential Women (2018) and winning the Charles T. Manatt Prize (2014), Libertad Cortes de Cádiz (2015), and the Liberal International Freedom Prize (2019).

Economic vision: She supports privatizing Venezuela’s oil industry, reconnecting with international financial institutions, and opening the economy, similar to Argentina’s reforms under Javier Milei.

Education: Machado earned an industrial engineering degree from Universidad Católica Andrés Bello and later studied finance at IESA.

How the Nobel Peace Prize Selection Works

The nomination process for the Nobel Peace Prize is very strict and confidential. Only qualified people such as government members, university professors, past winners, or directors of peace research centers can nominate candidates. Self-nominations are not allowed. The deadline is January 31 each year, and all nominations remain secret for 50 years. After receiving the names, the Norwegian Nobel Committee reviews them and makes a shortlist. The members then study each person’s contribution to peace. The final decision is ideally made by unanimous vote, but if not, a majority vote decides the winner. Unlike other Nobel Prizes, the Peace Prize is awarded in Oslo, Norway, not Stockholm.

Facts About the Nobel Peace Prize

The Nobel Peace Prize was created in 1895 by Alfred Nobel’s will to honor people or groups that work for peace, friendship among nations, or military reduction. It has been awarded 106 times, though skipped 19 times when no suitable candidates were found. Sometimes, the award is shared between two or three winners who made joint efforts for peace. The most respected laureates are those who worked for human rights, disarmament, and the protection of women and children. The youngest winner is Malala Yousafzai, who received the prize at 17, while the oldest is Joseph Rotblat at 86. Out of 143 winners, 20 have been women, starting with Bertha von Suttner in 1905.