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Journalism of Courage
Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado has won the Nobel Peace Prize 2025. Making the announcement, the committee commended Machado as a “brave and committed champion of peace” who “keeps the flame of democracy burning during a growing darkness”.
Responding to a question about dissidents’ lives being in danger after receiving a Nobel Prize, Nobel Committee president Jorgen Watne Frydnes said: “You are now touching upon some of the most difficult dilemmas of the [Nobel] Committee. This is the discussion we have for all the candidates, particularly when the person who receives the prize is in hiding because of serious threats to life. She [Maria Corina Machado] has been very active in Venezuela and will [continue] be. We are taking into consideration that this prize will support her cause and not limit it.”
When asked if she will be seen in December in Oslo during the medal presentation, Jorgen said: “It’s a question of security. It’s too early to say anything. We always hope to have the laureate with us in Oslo, but this is a serious security situation which needs to be handled first.”
Machado, long regarded as the face of Venezuela’s pro-democracy struggle, has become a defining symbol of civilian courage in Latin America. For years, she has stood up to Nicolás Maduro’s authoritarian rule, facing threats, arrests, and relentless political persecution. Refusing exile, Machado has chosen to stay in Venezuela, embodying a message of peaceful resistance and the pursuit of democratic reform.
The Nobel Committee hailed her as a bridge-builder within Venezuela’s divided opposition, crediting her with uniting disparate factions under a common cause. During the country’s disputed 2024 presidential election—after authorities disqualified her from running—Machado threw her support behind opposition candidate Edmundo González Urrutia.
She played a crucial role in organising grassroots efforts to monitor polling stations, verify vote counts, and expose electoral manipulation, even as Maduro’s government tightened its crackdown on dissent.
Machado, the Leader of Opposition in Venezuela, was described as a woman who “fought for the people of Venezuela”. Machado received a powerful push for the Nobel Peace Prize, with a coalition of institutions and politicians highlighting her decades-long commitment to peace and human rights.
On August 16, 2024, the Inspira América Foundation teamed up with the rectors of four universities to support Machado’s nomination for the 2025 award, emphasising her “tireless fight for peace in Venezuela and the world” and describing her work as “a fair recognition of a person who has dedicated almost her entire life to the fight for peace and the liberation” of her country.
The effort gained further momentum when four Florida legislators—Marco Rubio, Rick Scott, María Elvira Salazar, and Mario Díaz-Balart—submitted a letter endorsing her candidacy on August 26. The lawmakers praised Machado’s “courageous and selfless leadership” and her “unyielding dedication to the pursuit of peace and democratic ideals”. They also highlighted her advocacy in exposing human rights violations under the current regime, calling it emblematic of the principles the Nobel Peace Prize seeks to honour.
Machado received multiple death threats in her efforts to secure human rights in Venezuela.
“In its long history, the Norwegian Nobel Committee has honoured brave women and men who have stood up to repression, who have carried the hope of freedom in prison cells, on the streets and in public squares, and who have shown by their actions that peaceful resistance can change the world. In the past year, Ms Machado has been forced to live in hiding. Despite serious threats against her life, she has remained in the country, a choice that has inspired millions of people,” Nobel Committee president Jorgen Watne Frydnes said.
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