Venezuela’s María Corina Machado Becomes the Second Latina to Win Nobel Peace Prize
Opposition leader Maria Corina Machado gestures to supporters during a protest against President Nicolas Maduro the day before his inauguration for a third term, in Caracas, Venezuela, Thursday, Jan. 9, 2025. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos)
When it comes to the Nobel Peace Prize, the list of names from Latin America is short, and it features only one other woman, Rigoberta Menchú Tum, a Guatemalan human rights activist. But now, there’s another to add to the list, as Venezuela’s opposition leader María Corina Machado has been awarded the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize.
Machado has spent years campaigning against Venezuela’s President Nicolás Maduro Moros, whose 12 years in power are considered by most of the outside world illegitimate. Forced to live in hiding for much of the past year, Machado was recognized for “her struggle to achieve a just and peaceful transition from dictatorship to democracy”, Nobel chairman Jørgen Watne Frydnes said.
The Nobel Committee also called her activism “one of the most extraordinary examples of civilian courage in Latin America in recent times” and praised her “tireless work promoting democratic rights for the people of Venezuela.” The committee also warned that “democracy is in retreat” across the world, hailing Machado as a figure who reminds us to continue fighting.
Indeed, the Committee minced no words, calling Machado a “key, unifying figure in a political opposition that was once deeply divided… in a brutal authoritarian state that is now suffering a humanitarian and economic crisis.” They also hailed how “despite serious threats against her life, she has remained in the country, a choice that has inspired millions.” It is not yet known if Machado will be able to attend the award ceremony in Oslo in December.
Machado was barred from running in last year’s presidential elections, which saw Maduro win a third six-year term in office. But even after she was prevented from running herself, Machado united the opposition behind one candidate, little-known Edmundo González. To this day, Machado, González, and many others believe he rightfully won.
The new Nobel laureate responded to the news, saying it was the “achievement of a whole society,” adding, “I am just one person. I certainly do not deserve this.”
Many in Venezuela would dispute this.