Venezuelan Oppn Leader María Corina Machado wins Nobel Peace Prize

Committee proved they place politics over peace: White House

AP, OSLO, OCT 10, 2025:  Venezuelan Opposition leader María Corina Machado won the Nobel Peace Prize on Friday, winning recognition as a woman "who keeps the flame of democracy burning amid a growing darkness."

The former Opposition Presidential candidate was lauded for being a "key, unifying figure" in the once deeply divided Opposition to President Nicolas Maduro's government, said Jorgen Watne Frydnes, chair of the Norwegian Nobel committee.

"In the past year, Ms Machado has been forced to live in hiding," Watne Frydnes said. "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 recognise courageous defenders of freedom who rise and resist," Frydnes said.

He told the AP that the committee was able to reach Machado just before the announcement and "it came as a surprise."

Machado's ally, Edmundo Gonzalez, who lives in exile in Spain, posted a short video of himself speaking by phone with Machado. "I am in shock," she said, adding: "I cannot believe it."

Gonzalez celebrated Machado's Nobel win in a post on X, calling it a "very well-deserved recognition for the long fight of a woman and of a whole people for our freedom and democracy."

Machado, who turned 58 this week, was set to run against Maduro, but the government disqualified her. Gonzalez, who had never run for office before, took her place.

The lead-up to the election saw widespread repression, including disqualifications, arrests and human rights violations.

Reacting to the announcement, White House spokesperson Steven Cheung said in a post on X Friday morning that "President Trump will continue making peace deals around the world, ending wars, and saving lives."

Cheung added that "the Nobel Committee proved they place politics over peace."

There had been persistent speculation ahead of the announcement about the possibility of the prize going to US President Donald Trump, fueled in part by the president himself and amplified by this week's approval of his plan for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.

Asked about lobbying for and by Trump, Watne Frydnes said: "I think this committee has seen any type of campaign, media attention. We receive thousands and thousands of letters every year from people wanting to say what they leads to peace. This committee sits in a room filled with the portraits of all laureates, and that room is filled with both courage and integrity. So we base only our decision on the work and the will of Alfred Nobel."