Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado has been awarded the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize, the Norwegian Nobel Committee announced on Friday.
Machado was recognised “for her tireless work in promoting the democratic rights of the Venezuelan people and for her struggle for a just and peaceful transition from dictatorship to democracy,” the Committee said in its citation.
BREAKING NEWS
— The Nobel Prize (@NobelPrize) October 10, 2025
The Norwegian Nobel Committee has decided to award the 2025 #NobelPeacePrize to Maria Corina Machado for her tireless work promoting democratic rights for the people of Venezuela and for her struggle to achieve a just and peaceful transition from dictatorship to… pic.twitter.com/Zgth8KNJk9
The decision follows days of speculation over this year’s laureate, with experts emphasising the Committee’s focus on the defence of democracy and human rights amid global geopolitical tensions.
The Nobel Peace Prize has been awarded 101 times since 1901, underscoring its long legacy of honouring individuals and organisations that advance peace, justice and freedom worldwide.
Maria Corina Machado, born in Caracas in 1967, is one of Venezuela’s most prominent opposition figures and a long-time advocate for democracy, human rights, and institutional reform. A former member of the National Assembly and founder of the civil organisation Súmate, she gained international recognition for organising citizen-led electoral monitoring efforts against the authoritarian rule of Hugo Chávez and later Nicolás Maduro. Throughout her career, Machado has faced persecution, disqualification from public office, and repeated threats for challenging the regime’s abuses of power. Despite this, she has remained a steadfast voice for democratic transition, calling for free and fair elections, the release of political prisoners, and the restoration of civil liberties in Venezuela. Her leadership has made her a symbol of peaceful resistance and civic courage across Latin America.