In a heartbreak for US President Donald Trump, the Norwegian Nobel Committee on Friday awarded the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize to Venezuela’s Maria Corina Machado for her tireless efforts in promoting democratic rights for the people of her country and for her struggle to achieve a just and peaceful transition from dictatorship to democracy.

“She is receiving the Nobel Peace Prize 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 said in a press release after announcing the honour.

Why did Machado win the Nobel Prize?

Machado, a prominent Venezuelan opposition leader, has spent years working to secure freedom and representative governance in her country. As the leader of Venezuela’s democracy movement, she has been described by the Nobel Committee as one of the most extraordinary examples of civilian courage in Latin America in recent times.

Over the past year, Machado has been forced to live in hiding due to severe threats against her life. Despite the dangers, she has chosen to remain in Venezuela, inspiring millions of people through her steadfastness and determination, the committee said.

It further noted that when authoritarians seize power, it is crucial to recognise defenders of freedom who refuse to stay silent, and who continue to fight for democratic principles at great personal risk.

The Nobel Committee emphasised that democracy is a precondition for lasting peace, and warned that the world is witnessing a troubling decline in democratic norms. “We live in a world where democracy is in retreat, where more and more authoritarian regimes are challenging norms and resorting to violence,” the committee said.

Machado’s decades-long commitment to democratic reform reflects her belief in peaceful, civic engagement. She co-founded Súmate, an organisation dedicated to democratic development, more than 20 years ago. Recalling her early work, the committee quoted her words: “It was a choice of ballots over bullets.”

Throughout her career, Machado has been a unifying figure in Venezuela’s fragmented opposition, helping bring together political groups around the shared demand for free elections and representative government, according to the committee.

The Nobel Committee said this willingness to defend the principles of popular rule, even among differing political views, “lies at the heart of democracy.”

Symbol of Hope

The committee also underscored that Machado’s courage and perseverance have made her a symbol of hope in a world where freedom and human rights are increasingly under threat. “The 2025 Nobel Peace Prize goes to a brave and committed champion of peace – to a woman who keeps the flame of democracy burning amid a growing darkness,” it said.

“Maria Corina Machado has shown that the tools of democracy are also the tools of peace. She embodies the hope of a different future, one where the fundamental rights of citizens are protected and their voices are heard,” the committee added.