Maria Corina Machado from Venezuela wins 2025 Nobel Peace Prize; Trump's wish dashed

Afghan Voice Agency (AVA) - International Service: The Nobel Committee based in Oslo, Norway, announced on Friday that Maria Corina Machado, a political activist and prominent figure opposing the government of Nicolas Maduro in Venezuela, has won the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize.

 

The official statement from the Nobel Committee stated that the prize was awarded in recognition of "her peaceful struggle for democracy, justice and civil rights in Venezuela."

 

Machado was born on October 7, 1967 in Caracas. He is an industrial engineer and in 2002 founded the NGO Somate to monitor elections. He was a member of the Venezuelan National Assembly from 2011 to 2014 and later founded the party Venta Venezuela.

 

Machado was nominated as the main opposition candidate for the 2023 presidential election, winning more than 92 percent of the vote in the opposition’s internal party elections, but the Venezuelan Supreme Court has banned him from running in any official elections until 2030.

 

The Nobel committee added in its statement that “he has resisted political pressure, intimidation and repression and is an inspiration to women and men fighting for freedom and justice around the world.”

 

Machado’s election has been met with mixed reactions inside Venezuela, according to Reuters and the Guardian. The opposition has described the election as a “symbolic victory for democracy,” while government officials have called the decision “political and biased.”

 

Internationally, a number of Latin American countries, the United States, and the European Union have welcomed her selection. The head of the European Commission said in a statement: "Machado is the voice of brave women who stand up to tyranny."

 

This comes while in recent weeks, some Western media and Republican supporters in the United States had talked about the possibility of awarding the prize to Donald Trump. With the announcement of Machado's name, these speculations ended.

 

The official Nobel Prize is scheduled to be awarded to her on December 10th of this year at a special ceremony in Oslo.

 

According to international affairs experts, awarding the Nobel Peace Prize to Machado is a clear message to authoritarian leaders in Latin America and other parts of the world that the international community continues to emphasize democratic values.

 

Observers say the selection also shows that the Nobel Committee has maintained its independence in the face of political and media pressure to introduce controversial figures like Trump.

 

Although some of Machado's policies, particularly his support for economic sanctions, have been criticized, his resistance to repression and efforts to peacefully transition Venezuela's political crisis were key factors in his election, experts say.

 

Studies suggest that the decision may breathe new life into Latin America's pro-democracy movements while also having new political implications for Venezuela's future.