Nobel Peace Prize 2025 winner: See María Corina Machado’s inspiring journey in pictures

Lauded as a unifying force in Venezuela’s opposition, championing free and fair elections

Last updated: October 10, 2025 | 13:41

Devadasan K P, Chief Visual Editor

2 MIN READ

Opposition activist María Corina Machado of Venezuela won the Nobel Peace Prize on Friday. The former opposition presidential candidate in Venezuela was 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," said Jørgen Watne Frydnes, chair of the Norwegian Nobel committee. Above, María Corina Machado arrives at a Caracas polling station on July 28, 2024.

AFP

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In the past year, Miss 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. Above, Maria Corina Machado waves a national flag during a protest called by the opposition on the eve of the presidential inauguration, in Caracas on January 9, 2025.

AFP

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Venezuelan opposition candidate María Corina Machado greets a supporter as she arrives to vote during parliamentary elections in Caracas on Sept. 26, 2010.

AFP

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File: Former congresswoman and opposition leader María Corina Machado holds up the Venezuelan flag outside the Attorney General’s Office in Caracas, Venezuela, on Dec. 3, 2014.

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Maria Corina Machado (C) arrives at the National Electoral Council (CNE) in Los Teques, Venezuela on August 3, 2015.

AFP

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Maria Corina Machado (R) greets supporters during a campaign rally for Venezuelan presidential candidate Edmundo Gonzalez, in Barinas, Venezuela, on July 6, 2024.

AFP

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Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado addresses supporters at a protest against President Nicolas Maduro in Caracas, Venezuela, Jan. 9, 2025, the day before his inauguration for a third term.

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MEPsd give a standing ovation to co-laureate of the 2024 Sakharov human rights prize Maria Corina Machado (screen) during the award ceremony at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, eastern France, on December 17, 2024.

AFP

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Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado embraces children during a rally in Caracas on Aug. 28, 2024, as supporters protest a month after President Nicolás Maduro’s disputed re-election.

AFP

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Devadasan K PChief Visual Editor

Devadasan K P is the Chief Visual Editor at Gulf News, bringing more than 26 years of experience in photojournalism to the role. He leads the Visual desk with precision, speed, and a strong editorial instinct. Whether he’s selecting images of royalty, chasing the biggest celebrity moments in Dubai, or covering live events himself, Devadasan is always a few steps ahead of the action. Over the years, he has covered a wide range of major assignments — including the 2004 tsunami in Sri Lanka, the 2005 Kashmir earthquake, feature reportage from Afghanistan, the IMF World Bank meetings, and wildlife series from Kenya. His work has been widely recognised with industry accolades, including the Minolta Photojournalist of the Year award in 2005, the Best Picture Award at the Dubai Shopping Festival in 2008, and a Silver Award from the Society for News Design in 2011. He handles the newsroom pressure with a calm attitude, a quick response time, and his signature brand of good-natured Malayali humour. There's no fuss — just someone who gets the job done very well, every single time.

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