This year’s Nobel Peace Prize has been won by Venezuelan politician María Corina Machado.
Donald Trump had expressed his desire to win the prize but missed out.
The Nobel Peace Prize committee said it had awarded Ms Machado "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".
Committee chairman Jørgen Watne Frydnes, announcing her as winner, said she is a "woman who keeps the flame of democracy going, amidst a growing darkness".
He said Machado has been a key unifying figure
“This is precisely what lies at the heart of democracy, our shared willingness to defend the principles of popular rule, even though we disagree.
“At a time when democracy is under threat, it is more important than ever to defend this common ground,” he said.
Who is María Corina Machado?
María Corina Machado, 58, is a Venezuelan politician and industrial engineer who served as a member of the National Assembly from 2011 to 2014.
A prominent opposition figure, she has campaigned tirelessly for democracy and become a central voice in the struggle against Nicolás Maduro’s government.
Born on October 7, 1967, she is the eldest of four daughters, born to a psychologist and a steel industry businessman, and is also the descendant of the 3rd Marquis of Toro.
Now a mother-of-three, Machado studied industrial engineering at university, before gaining a masters degree.
Jørgen Watne Frydnes, chair of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, described her as “a key, unifying figure in a political opposition that was once deeply divided – an opposition that found common ground in the demand for free elections and representative government.”
"In the past year, Miss Machado has been forced to live in hiding. Despite serious threats against her life, she has remained in the country, a choice that has inspired millions. When authoritarians seize power, it is crucial to recognize courageous defenders of freedom who rise and resist," he said.
Machado has received international recognition for her activism.
She was named one of the BBC's 100 Women in 2018 and was listed among Time magazine's 100 most influential people in 2025.
“Maria Corina Machado meets all three criteria stated in Alfred Nobel’s will for the selection of a Peace Prize laureate,” Frydnes added.
“She has brought her country’s opposition together. She has never wavered in resisting the militarisation of Venezuelan society. She has been steadfast in her support for a peaceful transition to democracy.
“Maria Corina Machado has shown that the tools of democracy are also the tools of peace. She embodies the hope of a different future, one where the fundamental rights of citizens are protected, and their voices are heard. In this future, people will finally be free to live in peace.”
This is a breaking news story. More follows.
