Venezuela’s Maria Corina Machado Wins 2025 Nobel Peace Prize

The 2025 Nobel Peace Prize has gone to Maria Corina Machado, a Venezuelan opposition leader known for her fearless push for democracy and justice.

The Norwegian Nobel Committee praised Machado for standing up for judicial independence, human rights, and fair representation in Venezuela — all while facing government pressure.

Committee chairman Jorgen Watne Frydnes said she spent years working for the freedom of her people. “Ms. Machado has spoken out for judicial independence, human rights and popular representation,” he said during the announcement in Oslo.

Blocked but Not Broken

Machado was originally the opposition’s presidential candidate in Venezuela’s 2024 elections but was barred from running by the regime. She later backed Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia, who went up against President Nicolas Maduro. Despite a tight race, Maduro won with 51% of the vote, while Gonzalez Urrutia received 44%.

Trump’s Failed Bid for the Prize

Adding a twist to this year’s buzz, Donald Trump reportedly lobbied for the Nobel Peace Prize, citing his involvement in global conflicts. But the committee made it clear: no political pressure swayed their decision.

“We base our decision on the work and the will of Alfred Nobel,” Frydnes said, adding that integrity, not influence, guides the selection process.

A Legacy of Peace and Persistence

The Nobel Peace Prize has been awarded 106 times, recognizing 112 individuals and 28 organizations that embody peace and courage. Last year’s winner, Nihon Hidankyo, a group of Hiroshima and Nagasaki atom bomb survivors, was honored for advocating a nuclear-free world.

This year’s other Nobel categories — medicine, physics, chemistry, and literature — were announced earlier in Stockholm. The economics prize will follow on Monday.

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