The 2025 Nobel Peace Prize has been awarded to Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, recognised for her “tireless work promoting democratic rights” and her commitment to a peaceful transition from dictatorship to democracy in Venezuela.

Announcing the award today, Friday, October 10, the Norwegian Nobel Committee hailed Machado as “a brave and committed champion of peace — a woman who keeps the flame of democracy burning amid a growing darkness.”

As the face of Venezuela’s democracy movement, Machado has emerged as a symbol of civilian courage in Latin America, uniting a previously divided opposition under the shared goal of free elections and representative governance.

Venezuela, once one of South America’s most prosperous nations, has faced years of economic collapse and political repression under authoritarian rule. Nearly 8 million citizens have fled the country, while those who remain face severe shortages and state violence.

The Nobel Committee noted that Machado’s leadership during the 2024 Venezuelan elections, where she supported opposition candidate Edmundo González Urrutia after being barred from contesting, demonstrated both moral strength and strategic unity. Despite arrests, intimidation, and torture, citizens stood guard at polling stations, documenting tallies before the regime could manipulate results.

The committee said, “Democracy is a precondition for lasting peace. When authoritarians seize power, it is crucial to recognise courageous defenders of freedom who rise and resist.”

Machado’s recognition follows a growing global concern over democratic backsliding, with the committee warning that 2024 saw “more elections than ever before, but fewer and fewer that were free and fair.”