Maria Corina Machado, a prominent political leader and staunch advocate for democratic values in Venezuela, has been awarded the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize. This honor is given annually to individuals or groups that have made significant contributions to the pursuit of peace and recognizes Machado’s relentless efforts to restore democracy, defend human rights, and promote nonviolent political change in her home country.
Machado’s journey is marked by resilience and deep conviction. Born on October 7, 1967, into an influential upper-middle-class family, she was raised with a strong sense of civic responsibility. Her father, Carlos Machado, was a respected businessman and former ambassador, whose values had a lasting impact on her. Maria pursued industrial engineering at the Andes University of Venezuela and later obtained a degree in public administration from Yale University.
Despite facing constant harassment, intimidation, and disqualification from the 2024 presidential race, Machado refused to be silenced. Her message of peaceful resistance, institutional reform, and civil empowerment has remained clear and unwavering. In the face of political persecution, including threats, travel bans, and surveillance, she has continued to campaign for free and fair elections, accountability, and the rule of law.
Announcing the award in Oslo, Jørgen Watne Frydnes of the Norwegian Nobel Committee stated, “This year’s Peace Prize goes to a brave and committed champion of peace, to a woman who keeps the flame of democracy burning amidst a growing darkness.” Frydnes praised Machado’s ability to unify a fractured opposition and her insistence on achieving change through peaceful, democratic means in a climate where violence and despair often dominate.
By winning the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize, Maria Corina Machado has become not just a national leader but a global figure. She embodies the idea that peace is not merely the absence of war, but the presence of justice, freedom, and human dignity.
