John Adoyi, PBA Journalism Mentee
The Nobel Peace Prize for 2025 has been awarded to Venezuelan opposition leader María 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 democracy,” the Norwegian Nobel Committee announced on Friday.
Describing the decision as “a choice of ballots over bullets,” the Committee called Machado “a brave and committed champion of peace, a woman who keeps the flame of democracy burning amid a growing darkness.”
At 58, Machado is one of Latin America’s most prominent advocates for democratic change. Once a legislator and founder of the liberal party Vente Venezuela, she has become the unifying face of a fractured opposition movement against President Nicolás Maduro’s authoritarian government.
Join our WhatsApp ChannelDespite being banned from running in the 2024 presidential election and facing harassment, surveillance, and threats, she has continued to call for peaceful resistance and free elections. “I am overwhelmed and humbled by this recognition,” Machado said in a phone call with Nobel Committee Secretary Kristian Berg Harpviken shortly after the announcement. “This prize belongs to all Venezuelans who have chosen ballots over bullets, who believe that peace and democracy are still possible.”
Venezuela has endured years of political and economic turmoil marked by hyperinflation, mass emigration, and widespread repression. The 2024 election was widely condemned as fraudulent after Machado was disqualified, and protests that followed were met with arrests and violence. Earlier this year, she was briefly detained during demonstrations, before re-emerging to rally supporters under the slogan “peaceful courage.”
International leaders and human rights groups have praised the award. The United Nations said it “honors the resilience of Venezuelans who continue to fight for freedom,” while the European Union described it as “a message of hope for those living under oppression.”
Machado becomes the first Venezuelan to receive the Nobel Peace Prize, joining a distinguished list of laureates who have advanced the cause of human rights, democracy, and reconciliation. Since its inception in 1901, the Nobel Peace Prize has been awarded 104 times to 141 laureates—comprising 110 individuals and 31 organizations—including notable figures such as Nelson Mandela, Malala Yousafzai, Martin Luther King Jr., and Wangari Maathai. Of the individual laureates, 19 have been women, a number that continues to grow with Machado’s recognition.
The Peace Prize was established according to Alfred Nobel’s will, which stated it should be awarded to “the person who shall have done the most or the best work for fraternity between nations, for the abolition or reduction of standing armies and for the holding and promotion of peace congresses.”
In honoring Machado, the Norwegian Nobel Committee said her courage embodies that vision, proving that “the defense of democracy and the rule of law remains the surest path to lasting peace.” She will receive the Nobel gold medal, diploma, and approximately $1 million in prize money during the official Nobel ceremony in Oslo on December 10, 2025.
