Venezuelan Activist María Machado Beat Trump to the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize

Venezuelan democracy activist María Corina Machado has been awarded the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize, beating U.S. President Donald Trump, who had openly campaigned for the coveted honour.

Machado was recognised 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,” the Norwegian Nobel Committee announced on Friday.

The committee hailed Machado as “one of the most extraordinary examples of civilian courage in Latin America” and a “key, unifying figure” in a once deeply divided opposition.

“This is precisely what lies at the heart of democracy: our shared willingness to defend the principles of popular rule, even though we disagree,” the committee said.

“At a time when democracy is under threat, it is more important than ever to defend this common ground.”

Machado’s recognition follows years of defiance against President Nicolás Maduro’s regime, whose 2024 re-election was widely condemned as fraudulent. After being barred from contesting, she endorsed Edmundo González, a move that, according to observers, united Venezuela’s fractured opposition and inspired hope among millions.

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Meanwhile, Trump’s hopes for the Nobel prize were dashed despite his administration’s global diplomacy efforts. He has styled himself as the “candidate of peace,” boasting of his role in mediating conflicts, but his record has been marred by military strikes, global tariff wars, and his strong backing of Israel’s campaign in Gaza.

Asked whether political pressure influenced the committee’s choice, chairman Jørgen Frydnes said, “We base our decision only on the work and the will of Alfred Nobel.”