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When Maria Corina Machado, Venezuelan democracy activist and opposition leader, learned she had won the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize, her first words were simply, “Oh my God.”
Kristian Berg Harpviken, Director of the Norwegian Nobel Institute, called Machado directly before the announcement was made public. Overwhelmed with emotion, she insisted the recognition belongs to the Venezuelan people.
“This is a movement. This is the achievement of an entire society. I am just one person; I certainly do not deserve this,” she said.
The Norwegian Nobel Committee awarded Machado the prize for her tireless work promoting democratic rights in Venezuela and for her struggle to achieve a just and peaceful transition from dictatorship to democracy.
As a founder of Súmate, an organisation devoted to democratic development, Machado has spent more than two decades advocating for free elections, judicial independence, and human rights, often at great personal risk.
Ahead of the 2024 elections, she mobilised hundreds of thousands of volunteers as election observers to ensure transparency despite the authoritarian regime’s attempts to suppress the opposition.
Harpviken quoted the committee’s citation, which called Machado “one of the most extraordinary examples of civilian courage in Latin America in recent times.”
Despite threats to her life and being forced to live in hiding, she has remained in Venezuela, inspiring millions with her steadfast commitment to peaceful resistance.
“This prize is a recognition not just of me, but of the Venezuelan people,” Machado said, still in disbelief.
The Nobel Committee highlighted that Machado embodies the hope for a future where citizens’ fundamental rights are protected and their voices heard—a future where democracy and peace can finally prevail in Venezuela.
Kristian Berg Harpviken, Director of the Norwegian Nobel Institute, called Machado directly before the announcement was made public. Overwhelmed with emotion, she insisted the recognition belongs to the Venezuelan people.
“This is a movement. This is the achievement of an entire society. I am just one person; I certainly do not deserve this,” she said.
“Oh
my god… I have no words.”
Listen to the emotional moment this year’s laureate Maria Corina Machado finds out she has been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.
Kristian Berg Harpviken, Director of the Norwegian Nobel Institute, shared the news with her directly before it was… pic.twitter.com/OCUpNz752k
— The Nobel Prize (@NobelPrize) October 10, 2025
The Norwegian Nobel Committee awarded Machado the prize for her tireless work promoting democratic rights in Venezuela and for her struggle to achieve a just and peaceful transition from dictatorship to democracy.
As a founder of Súmate, an organisation devoted to democratic development, Machado has spent more than two decades advocating for free elections, judicial independence, and human rights, often at great personal risk.
Ahead of the 2024 elections, she mobilised hundreds of thousands of volunteers as election observers to ensure transparency despite the authoritarian regime’s attempts to suppress the opposition.
Harpviken quoted the committee’s citation, which called Machado “one of the most extraordinary examples of civilian courage in Latin America in recent times.”
Despite threats to her life and being forced to live in hiding, she has remained in Venezuela, inspiring millions with her steadfast commitment to peaceful resistance.
“This prize is a recognition not just of me, but of the Venezuelan people,” Machado said, still in disbelief.
The Nobel Committee highlighted that Machado embodies the hope for a future where citizens’ fundamental rights are protected and their voices heard—a future where democracy and peace can finally prevail in Venezuela.
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