Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado reacted to her Nobel Peace Prize win on Friday, dedicating the honor to the “suffering” people of Venezuela. In a post on X, Machado described the award as a recognition of the resilience of all Venezuelans, calling it “a boost to conclude our task: to conquer Freedom”. She went on to further dedicate the award to US President Donald Trump.
She also recognised the role of international allies in Venezuela’s ongoing struggle for democracy. “We are on the threshold of victory and today, more than ever, we count on President Trump, the people of the United States, the peoples of Latin America, and the democratic nations of the world as our principal allies to achieve Freedom and democracy,” Machado wrote. “I dedicate this prize to the suffering people of Venezuela and to President Trump for his decisive support of our cause!” she added.
Former Industrial engineer, Machado is one of the most prominent Opposition figures in Venezuela. Currently “forced to live in hiding” amid serious threats against her life, Maria was unable to show up at the ceremony. At a time when Venezuela’s opposition was fragmented and weakened, Machado emerged as a key unifying figure.
The Nobel committee honoured Maria “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”.
How did Maria react to the news?
In a video released by the Nobel prize official foundation’s official account on social media platform on X, the winner of this year’s Nobel peace prize can be seen reacting to her win. Kristian Berg Harpviken, Director of the Norwegian Nobel Institute, shared the news with her directly before it was announced to the world.
“Oh my God, I have no words, Thank you so much, but I hope you understand this is a movement, this is the work of a whole society, I am just one person, I certainly don’t deserve this,” Maria told Kristian on hearing the news.
“You definitely deserve it, I am sorry to wake you up in the middle of the night, you don’t actually have much time, we’re gonna reveal this in 5 minutes,” Harpviken was heard telling Maria during the call asking her to not share the news before it becomes official.
“I am honoured and very very grateful on behalf of the Venezuelan people. We’re not there yet. We’re working very hard to achieve it, but I’m sure that that will prevail. This is certainly the biggest recognition for our people, who certainly deserve it. So thank you very much. Thank you very much” she added.
Why was Maria awarded the Nobel?
The Norwegian Nobel Committee awarded the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize to María Corina Machado for her pro democracy approach to peacebuilding. The Committee emphasized that “the tools of democracy are also the tools of peace” and added Machado’s determination to achieve a peaceful transition to democracy as a model in an increasingly authoritarian world.
“From her early activism as the founder of ‘Súmate,’ a civil organisation advocating for electoral transparency, to her recent leadership of the opposition coalition, she has consistently chosen ballots over bullets,” the committee noted.
According to the Norwegian Nobel Committee’s statement, for over two decades, Machado has stood as a fearless opponent of Venezuela’s increasingly authoritarian regime.
In a nation where dissent is often met with surveillance, arrest, or exile, Machado has remained in the country, despite threats to her life and freedom. At a time when Venezuela’s opposition was fragmented and weakened, Machado emerged as a key unifying figure
As per the statement, Machado’s lifelong commitment to peaceful resistance was central to the committee’s decision which led them to pick her over US President Donald Trump as the rightful recipient of this year’s Nobel prize.