Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado dedicated the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize to former U.S. President Donald Trump and to “the suffering people of Venezuela,” hours after the award was announced on Oct. 10, 2025.
In a message posted on X, she praised Trump’s “decisive support” for the country’s pro-democracy movement and framed the prize as recognition of a broader national struggle.
Machado’s public statement followed the Nobel committee’s release of a phone call in which she was informed of the decision. She called the award a collective achievement and underscored that Venezuelans seeking free elections had persevered despite repression.
The Norwegian Nobel Committee posted the announcement and background materials outlining the rationale for the prize, which emphasized her work to advance democratic rights through peaceful civic action.
In recent months, Machado has also credited U.S. policy for pressuring Nicolás Maduro’s government. In early September, she discussed Venezuela’s security crisis during an interview on “Fox & Friends,” reacting to reports of a U.S. strike against alleged Tren de Aragua operatives in the southern Caribbean. Her comments echoed a broader line she has maintained for years, urging sustained international attention to organized crime and state-linked corruption that, she argues, fuel Venezuela’s instability.
Why the Nobel committee chose her
The Nobel committee described Machado as a “brave and committed champion of peace” who “keeps the flame of democracy burning” in a country where political opposition has faced legal bans, arrests, and intimidation.
The committee cited her decades of civic organizing, her leadership during the 2024 campaign cycle, and her decision to remain in Venezuela despite threats.
International outlets also highlighted the symbolism of the award. The Associated Press noted that the committee cast Machado as a key unifying figure in the opposition and pointed to the wide network of volunteers who attempted to monitor the 2024 vote.
AP’s report emphasized that the award recognizes a nonviolent path to political transition and the risks faced by activists on the ground.
