Venezuelan Opposition Leader María Corina Machado Wins Nobel Peace Prize, Not Trump

Darwin, 10- October

Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado has been awarded the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize, the Norwegian Nobel Committee announced on Friday (October 10).

Despite widespread speculation and visible eagerness from former U.S. President Donald Trump, it was Machado who received the honor for her relentless efforts to restore democracy and promote peaceful political change in Venezuela.

According to the committee, Machado was recognized “for inspiring the Venezuelan people to reclaim their democratic rights and for leading a nonviolent struggle to transition the nation from autocracy to democracy.”

The committee described her as a symbol of unity among Venezuela’s divided opposition, noting that she “set a historic example of courage in Latin America’s political landscape.” Under her leadership, opposition groups came together to demand free and fair elections and a representative government.

Once one of Latin America’s wealthiest democracies, Venezuela has descended into economic collapse and political repression. Millions of its citizens now face extreme poverty amid severe human rights abuses and state violence. Nearly eight million Venezuelans have fled the country due to political persecution, rigged elections, and unjust imprisonment of dissidents.

Despite such conditions, Machado remained active, calling for electoral transparency under the slogan: “We choose ballots, not bullets.” Her courage and persistence turned her into a beacon of hope for millions seeking peaceful democratic reform.

In the run-up to the 2024 presidential election, Machado was nominated as the opposition’s unified candidate. However, the ruling regime barred her from running through legal manipulation. Undeterred, she threw her support behind Edmundo González Urrutia, helping unite diverse political factions under one democratic front.

Millions of volunteers were trained as election observers to ensure a transparent vote count. Despite arrests, harassment, and threats, citizens guarded polling stations to prevent tampering and ensure that results reflected the true will of the people.

The BBC reported that a total of 338 candidates were nominated for this year’s Nobel Peace Prize — 244 individuals and 94 organizations.

Last year, the prize went to the Japanese organization Nihon Hidankyo, which represents atomic bomb survivors and advocates for a world free of nuclear weapons.

Notably, the youngest Nobel Peace laureate remains Malala Yousafzai, who received the prize in 2014 at just 17 years old. The oldest recipient was Joseph Rotblat, honored in 1995 at the age of 86. So far, 31 organizations have received the Nobel Peace Prize in history.

Source: MTI