Nobel Prize for Peace, 2025
Context:
The 2025 Nobel Peace Prize has been awarded to María Corina Machado.
She is a Venezuelan opposition leader.
She is the 20th woman to win the prize
The Norwegian Nobel Committee awarded her the prize for her "tireless work promoting democratic rights for the people of Venezuela”.
She was recognized as a woman "who keeps the flame of democracy burning amid a growing darkness" and a "key, unifying figure" in the opposition against President Nicolás Maduro's authoritarian government.
Background:
For over two decades, Machado has been a staunch opponent of the authoritarian regimes of Hugo Chávez and his successor, Nicolás Maduro.
She advocated for "ballots over bullets," focusing on mobilizing citizens through electoral and democratic processes.
In 2001, she co-founded Súmate, a volunteer organization to monitor elections.
Due to her activism, she has faced criminal charges of treason, intimidation.
She was also disqualified from running in the 2024 presidential election against Maduro.
Reaction to the Award:
In her acceptance, Machado dedicated the prize to the "suffering people of Venezuela" and to President Donald Trump for his "decisive support" of her cause.