2025 Nobel Peace Prize: 10 things to know about Maria Corina Machado

The Nobel Peace Prize was on Friday awarded to Venezuela's opposition leader and democracy activist Maria Corina Machado, the Norwegian Nobel Committee said.

Machado was honoured "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," said Jorgen Watne Frydnes, the chair of the Norwegian Nobel Committee in Oslo.

From uniting Venezuela’s opposition to standing up against authoritarianism, Maria Corina Machado has spent decades advocating for democracy, human rights, and peaceful political change.

Here are the key facts about her life, work, and impact that earned her the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize.

1. Nobel Peace Prize winner 2025
   Maria Corina Machado has been awarded the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize for her tireless work defending democratic rights in Venezuela.

2. Champion of democracy
   She has led Venezuela’s democracy movement, advocating for a peaceful transition from dictatorship to representative government.

3. Unifying opposition figure
   Machado helped bring together a divided political opposition, focusing on free elections and popular rule.

4. Standing against authoritarianism
   Venezuela has become a brutal, authoritarian state; Machado has fought against election rigging, legal persecution, and repression.

5. Founder of Súmate
   Over 20 years ago, she co-founded Sumate, an organisation promoting democratic development and free, fair elections.

6. Presidential candidate blocked
   In 2024, she was blocked from running in the presidential election but supported opposition coordination and citizen election monitoring.

7. Peaceful and innovative activism
   She and her supporters mobilised volunteers as election observers, ensuring transparency despite harassment and threats.

8. Courage under threat
   Machado has been forced to live in hiding due to serious threats but has remained in Venezuela, inspiring millions.

9. Global relevance
   Her fight highlights the global struggle for democracy, the rule of law, and freedom against authoritarian regimes.

10. Embodiment of Nobel criteria
    Machado exemplifies the qualities Alfred Nobel described for Peace Prize laureates: courage, peaceful resistance, and commitment to human freedom.