VENEZUELA OPPOSITION LEADER AWARDED NOBEL PEACE PRIZE 2025, NOT TO TRUMP
NEW DELHI: The Norwegian Nobel Committee on Friday announced that Maria Corina Machado was awarded the prestigious honour 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.
She was awarded the prize by the Norwegian Nobel Committee. There has been persistent speculation ahead of the announcement about the possibility of the prize going to US President Donald Trump, fuelled in part by the president himself, amplified by this week’s approval of his plan for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.
However, Jorgen Watne Frydnes, chair of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, said that the former opposition presidential candidate was being lauded for being a “key, unifying figure in a political opposition that was once deeply divided – an opposition that found common ground in the demand for free elections and representative government.”
“In the past year, 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. When authoritarians seize power, it is crucial to recognise courageous defenders of freedom who rise and resist.”
As the leader of the democracy movement in Venezuela, Machado, often called Venezuela’s iron lady, is seen as an example of civilian courage in Latin America in recent times. She has emerged as a key figure in a political opposition that was once deeply divided – an opposition that found common ground in the demand for free elections and representative government.
Venezuela has evolved from a relatively democratic and prosperous country to a brutal, authoritarian state that is now suffering a humanitarian and economic crisis. Currently, most people in the country live in deep poverty, even as the few at the top enrich themselves.
Data shows that nearly 8 million people have left the country as the state uses violent machinery against its own citizens. The opposition has been systematically suppressed by means of election rigging, legal prosecution and imprisonment.
Venezuela’s authoritarian regime makes political work extremely difficult. As a founder of Sumate, an organisation devoted to democratic development, Machado stood up for free and fair elections more than 20 years ago, the Norwegian Nobel Committee said.
