Venezuelan Opposition Leader María Corina Machado Wins Nobel Peace Prize

Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado has won the Nobel Peace Prize, earning recognition as a woman “who keeps the flame of democracy burning amid a growing darkness,” Kostya Manenkov, Regina Garcia Cano, and Geir Moulson reported for the Associated Press (AP).

“I am in shock,” Machado said, adding, “I cannot believe it.” (Image: Niklas Elmehed, Nobel Prize Facebook)

The former opposition presidential candidate was lauded as a “key, unifying figure" in the once deeply divided opposition to President Nicolás Maduro’s government, said Jørgen Watne Frydnes, chair of the Norwegian Nobel Committee.

“In the past year, Ms. Machado has been forced to live in hiding,” Watne Frydnes said.

“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 recognize courageous defenders of freedom who rise and resist.”

There had been persistent speculation ahead of the announcement that the prize might go to U.S. President Donald Trump, fueled in part by the president himself and amplified by this week’s approval of his plan for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.

Asked about lobbying for and by Trump, Frydnes said, “I think this committee has seen any type of campaign, media attention. We receive thousands and thousands of letters every year from people wanting to say what, for them, leads to peace.”

Critics said Trump’s chances of winning the Nobel Peace Prize were “slim to none.” Frydnes told the AP that the committee was able to reach Machado just before the announcement, and “it came as a surprise.”

Machado’s ally, Edmundo González, who lives in exile in Spain, posted a short video of himself speaking by phone with Machado. “I am in shock,” she said, adding, “I cannot believe it.”