María Corina Machado, the Venezuelan opposition leader, has been awarded the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize — a decision that has already sparked both celebration and controversy from Caracas to Washington, writes Norwegian NRK.
The 58-year-old engineer-turned-politician, often described as Venezuela’s “Iron Lady,” dedicated the prize to “the suffering Venezuelan people — and to President Trump, for his decisive support of our cause.” Her statement, posted on X, drew applause from her supporters and criticism from those who view her as too closely aligned with the American right.
A Leader in Hiding
Machado has spent the past year in hiding, continuing to lead the Venezuelan opposition from an undisclosed location after being barred from running in last year’s presidential election. Despite winning broad public support, she was disqualified by the Maduro regime, which later declared its own candidate the victor amid widespread accusations of fraud.
“I have no words,” Machado reportedly told Kristian Berg Harpviken, director of the Norwegian Nobel Institute, during a tearful phone call when she learned of the award. “This is not about me. It’s about an entire nation that refuses to give up.”
Born in 1967 into a prominent Caracas family, Machado was the eldest of four sisters. Her father ran a steel company, and her mother was a psychologist. Trained as an industrial engineer, she once envisioned a life in business, not politics. But her work with a foundation for orphaned children exposed her to the social collapse deepening under Hugo Chávez’s rule — and changed her trajectory forever.
A Relentless Political Journey
Machado entered public life in the early 2000s by co-founding Súmate, a civic organization promoting free elections. Her insistence on accountability and electoral integrity made her a target for the government, but also a symbol of resistance for Venezuela’s middle class.
In 2010, she was elected to the National Assembly with more votes than any other candidate, only to be expelled four years later by the ruling Socialist Party. Two years after that, she founded the liberal party Vente Venezuela, and later helped form Soy Venezuela, a coalition aimed at uniting opposition forces under a shared democratic vision.
Though disqualified from the 2023 presidential race, Machado backed former diplomat Edmundo González Urrutia, who was widely believed to have won the vote before fleeing to Spain. Her own children have since gone into exile, while she remains in Venezuela, operating from safe houses to avoid arrest.
“She has lived in hiding since last summer,” said Benedicte Bull, a professor of political science at the University of Oslo. “She is under constant threat from the regime, but refuses to leave the country. That defiance is what this award recognizes.”
A Spiritual and Political Crusade
Machado often frames her fight as a moral mission rather than a political campaign. “When I travel through the country, I feel more like a missionary than a politician,” she told Bull earlier this year.
Her speeches mix political conviction with almost spiritual fervor — invoking freedom, sacrifice, and faith in Venezuela’s “redemption.” That blend of moral authority and nationalist appeal has made her both a unifying symbol and a polarizing figure within the fractured opposition.
Ties to Washington — and to Trump
Machado’s admiration for Donald Trump and close relationship with U.S. conservatives have drawn scrutiny. She has maintained close contact with figures such as Senator Marco Rubio and several Trump-era officials who supported sanctions on the Maduro government.
Critics argue that those ties risk politicizing her image — and the Nobel Peace Prize itself. Norwegian left-wing politician Bjørnar Moxnes called the award “a bad idea,” claiming that “no other candidate is closer to Donald Trump than María Corina Machado.”
Even so, her supporters insist that her pro-American stance reflects strategic realism, not ideology. For them, Machado embodies Venezuela’s last hope for democratic renewal.
Global Reverberations
The Nobel Committee’s decision is likely to have far-reaching consequences. While it celebrates Machado’s courage, it could also deepen tensions with Caracas, where President Nicolás Maduro’s government is expected to denounce the award as part of a “U.S.-led political agenda.”
“The regime will almost certainly intensify repression,” warned Professor Bull. “But the symbolism of this prize — that Venezuela’s struggle for democracy is seen and recognized globally — cannot be understated.”
The Nobel Peace Prize ceremony is scheduled for December 10 in Oslo. Given ongoing threats to her safety, it remains uncertain whether Machado will be able to attend in person.
