Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado wins the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize for her fight to restore democracy and defend human rights under dictatorship.
Oslo, October 10, 2025 | The Interview Times —Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, known as the Iron Lady of Venezuela, has been awarded the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize for her unwavering struggle to restore democracy and human rights in her country.
Announcing the decision in Oslo, the Norwegian Nobel Committee described her as “a brave and committed champion of peace — a woman who keeps the flame of democracy burning amid a growing darkness.”
Official Nobel Committee Statement
In its official press release dated October 10, 2025, the Committee said:
“The Nobel Peace Prize for 2025 goes to a brave and committed champion of peace – to a woman who keeps the flame of democracy burning amid a growing darkness.
María Corina Machado 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 Committee praised Machado as “one of the most extraordinary examples of civilian courage in Latin America in recent times”, noting that she had united a divided opposition around the shared cause of free elections and representative government.
It added that Machado has “shown that the tools of democracy are also the tools of peace,” and that she “embodies the hope of a different future — one where the fundamental rights of citizens are protected and their voices are heard.”
Who is Maria Corina Machado?
Born on October 7, 1967, in Caracas, Venezuela, Maria Corina Machado Parisca, 58, is the leader of the opposition party Vente Venezuela. A graduate in industrial engineering with a Master’s in finance, she began her career outside politics before co-founding Sumate in 2002 — a civil association promoting electoral transparency.
At Sumate, she led efforts for a recall referendum against then-President Hugo Chavez, championing a non-violent, citizen-driven path to political change — what she called “ballots over bullets.”
Despite facing treason charges, harassment, and threats, she became one of the most prominent figures in Venezuela’s democracy movement.
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Her Fight for Democracy
As Venezuela descended from democracy into dictatorship under Nicolas Maduro, Machado emerged as the most consistent and uncompromising voice of opposition.
She has long advocated liberal economic reforms, judicial independence, and international cooperation to rebuild the country. In 2023, she won the opposition’s presidential primary by a landslide, but was barred from contesting the 2024 election by Maduro’s Supreme Court.
Undeterred, she supported Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia as the unified opposition candidate. The Nobel Committee highlighted this act as an example of her inclusive leadership, noting that hundreds of thousands of Venezuelans “mobilised across political divides” to protect the integrity of the election — despite the risk of harassment, arrest, and torture.
Although the regime claimed victory, international observers reported evidence that the opposition had actually won. Machado has since gone into hiding, continuing her work online and through exiled allies.
Why the Nobel Committee Chose Maria Corina Machado
The Nobel Committee’s statement underlined the broader global significance of Machado’s peaceful defiance:
“Democracy is a precondition for lasting peace. Yet we live in a world where democracy is in retreat, where more authoritarian regimes are challenging norms and resorting to violence.
When authoritarians seize power, it is crucial to recognise courageous defenders of freedom who rise and resist.”
The Committee concluded that Machado meets all three criteria laid out in Alfred Nobel’s will for the Peace Prize:
- She has brought her country’s opposition together.
- She has resisted the militarisation of Venezuelan society.
- She has remained steadfast in her support for a peaceful democratic transition.
Maria Corina Machado: A Global Symbol of Courage
Machado’s resilience under threat has turned her into a symbol of civilian resistance not only in Venezuela but across Latin America. Nearly 8 million Venezuelans have fled the country amid economic collapse and repression, yet Machado’s voice continues to rally millions who remain.
In 2024, the European Union awarded her the Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought, recognising her leadership in the struggle for democratic renewal.
Now, with the Maria Corina Machado 2025 Nobel Peace Prize, she joins a global legacy of laureates who have shown that peaceful resistance can change the world.
“Freedom must never be taken for granted,” the Nobel Committee reminded the world in Oslo.
“Maria Corina Machado has shown that democracy’s tools — ballots, debate, courage, and unity — are also the tools of peace.”
Mahendra Singh is a seasoned journalist and editor at TheInterviewTimes.com with over 28 years of experience. An alumnus of IIMC, he writes on international affairs, politics, education, environment, and key social issues.