New Delhi, Oct 10: Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado has been awarded the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize for her relentless struggle to restore democracy in her country, amid deep political unrest and tensions with the US. The industrial engineer-turned-politician was honoured “for her tireless work promoting democratic rights for the people of Venezuela and her efforts toward a peaceful transition from dictatorship to democracy.”
Machado, 58, becomes the 112th individual and 19th woman to receive the Peace Prize, and the first woman laureate from South America. She is also the second Venezuelan Nobel awardee.
Beginning her public career in 1992 by founding a charity for street children in Caracas, Machado entered politics in 2001 by co-founding Sumate, a civil society group monitoring national elections. Her growing dissent with then-President Hugo Chavez led to clashes with his administration, particularly after she signed a decree during the 2002 coup attempt and led the 2004 recall referendum against him.
Elected to the National Assembly in 2010, she gained national prominence after a fiery exchange with Chavez in 2012, accusing him of “stealing” through nationalisation policies. Despite being stripped of her parliamentary seat in 2014, Machado continued to challenge his successor Nicolas Maduro and became a key figure in anti-government protests.
Facing repeated threats, attacks, and a 15-year political ban in 2023, she stayed in Venezuela even as other opposition leaders fled. Her resilience and commitment to democratic reform, despite persecution, have made her a symbol of peaceful resistance in Latin America.
The Nobel Committee’s announcement came just two days after her birthday, marking a global recognition of her courage and unwavering pursuit of justice in one of the world’s most repressive political climates.
