A Voice from the Shadows: Venezuelan Opposition Leader María Corina Machado Wins Nobel Peace Prize
Forced into hiding, the democracy activist becomes a global symbol of courage as the Nobel Committee honors her fight for a peaceful transition in Venezuela.
OSLO — In the early hours of the morning, a phone call pierced the silence. On one end, in a dignified office in Oslo, a Nobel Committee member struggled to hold back tears. On the other, hidden somewhere in Venezuela, a woman who has not been seen in public for months received news that would place her struggle on the world’s stage.
María Corina Machado, the Venezuelan opposition leader who has defied an authoritarian government and now lives in hiding, has been awarded the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize. The Norwegian Nobel Committee, announcing the award on Friday, honored 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 prize crowns the life’s work of a 58-year-old engineer who chose “ballots over bullets” and now risks her life for that belief . It sends a message of support to millions of Venezuelans living in poverty and under repression, and a pointed signal to authoritarian leaders everywhere.
“An Award to an Entire Movement”
In a video of the call with the Nobel Institute’s secretary, a shocked Ms. Machado repeated that it was “the Venezuelan people” who had truly won the coveted prize. “I am just, you know, one person. I certainly do not deserve this,” she said. She described the award as a recognition for “an entire movement”.
The committee chose to focus on Venezuela in a year dominated by U.S. President Donald Trump‘s repeated public statements that he deserves the Nobel Peace Prize . Ahead of the announcement, experts had said Trump would not win it, and the selection of Ms. Machado was seen as a demonstration of the committee’s independence.
A Country in Crisis
Venezuela has undergone a staggering transformation, “from a relatively democratic and prosperous country to a brutal, authoritarian state,” the Nobel Committee said in a strongly worded press release. Most citizens now live in deep poverty while a small few enrich themselves, leading nearly 8 million people to flee the country.
Ms. Machado’s work began over two decades ago. After a career in business and starting a foundation for street children, she helped found Súmate in 2002, an organization devoted to promoting free and fair elections. She was elected to the National Assembly in 2010 with a record number of votes, only to be expelled from office by the regime in 2014.
Last year, she became the opposition’s chosen presidential candidate for the 2024 election. The government, led by President Nicolás Maduro, blocked her candidacy. Ms. Machado then backed another candidate, Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia. In a brave, collective effort, hundreds of thousands of volunteers were trained as election observers to document the vote. They collected evidence showing the opposition had won by a clear margin, but the regime refused to accept the result and clung to power. The government’s response to protests left more than 20 people dead, and Ms. Machado went into hiding this past January.
A Message to the World
“When authoritarians seize power, it is crucial to recognise courageous defenders of freedom who rise and resist,” the Nobel Committee stated. Jørgen Watne Frydnes, the chair of the committee, said he hopes the prize conveys a message for Venezuela’s Nicolas Maduro and other authoritarian leaders: “choose ballots, not bullets”.
The White House criticized the decision, with a spokesperson saying the committee placed “politics over peace” by not choosing Trump. However, the award was celebrated by democracy advocates worldwide as a victory for their cause.
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An Uncertain Path to the Ceremony
The Nobel Peace Prize, worth 11 million Swedish crowns (about $1.2 million), will be presented in Oslo on December 10. A central, unanswered question is whether Ms. Machado will be able to attend.
Mr. Frydnes acknowledged the committee had weighed the security implications of giving her the prize. “This is the discussion we have every year for all candidates, particularly when the person who receives the prize is, in fact, in hiding because of serious threats to her life,” he said. He expressed hope that she would be present, stating that “it will depend on the security situation”.
For now, the woman who symbolizes the fight for democracy in Venezuela remains out of sight. But with this award, her cause, and the hopes of the Venezuelan people, have been thrust into the global spotlight, reminding the world that the fight for freedom is never over.
This story was reported from Oslo with contributions from journalists in Caracas and Washington.
Author: Junaid Arif
Date: 10 Oct, 2025
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