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NEW YORK (October 10, 2025) — The Human Rights Foundation (HRF) celebrates today’s announcement that Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado has been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her decades-long commitment to freedom, democracy, and human dignity in Venezuela.
The Nobel Committee’s decision recognizes Machado as one of the world’s most courageous voices against tyranny. A former member of Venezuela’s National Assembly, founder of the civic movement Súmate and Vente Venezuela, and a relentless advocate for free and fair elections, Machado has persevered in the face of state persecution, intimidation, and repeated attempts to silence her. In early 2024, after the Nicolás Maduro regime disqualified and banned her from running, Venezuela’s democratic opposition appointed Edmundo González as its presidential candidate under Machado’s leadership. With her guidance, the coalition won the July 28 national elections with nearly 70% of the vote. The regime ignored the results, clung to power illegally, and forced Machado into hiding in January 2025 to evade arrest by Maduro’s dictatorship.
Over the past two decades, Machado has become a central figure in mobilizing Venezuelans against Nicolás Maduro’s authoritarian regime, inspiring millions with her unwavering defense of democratic values.
“María Corina Machado embodies the spirit of fearless, nonviolent resistance against tyranny. Her leadership has given voice to millions of Venezuelans who dream of living in a free society. This Nobel Peace Prize honors her extraordinary personal sacrifice and the resilience of an entire nation yearning for democracy,” said HRF Founder and CEO Thor Halvorssen. “The Nobel Committee’s recognition of Machado highlights the urgency of restoring democracy in Venezuela and sends a powerful message to authoritarian regimes everywhere: the world is watching, and those who stand for liberty will not be forgotten.”
HRF has long stood in solidarity with Machado and the Venezuelan people. In 2024, Machado addressed HRF’s Norway-based conference, the Oslo Freedom Forum (OFF), via video message and participated in a live conversation with Halvorssen, urging the international community to support Venezuela’s fight for liberty ahead of the July 2024 elections (watch here). This year, her daughter, Ana Corina Sosa Machado also spoke at OFF on behalf of her mother and discussed the need for more international solidarity including from countries like Norway (watch here).
For 20 years, HRF has worked to amplify Venezuelan voices of dissent, expose human rights abuses by the Maduro regime, and connect leaders like Machado with global allies in the struggle for freedom. Today’s recognition underscores the extraordinary courage of those who continue to fight for democracy in one of the world’s most repressive environments.
The Norwegian Nobel Committee is a five-member body appointed by the Storting (Norwegian parliament) with six-year terms and charged with selecting the Nobel Peace Prize laureate.
Background
María Corina Machado has become the symbol of Venezuela’s democratic opposition. She won the 2023 opposition primary with more than 92% of the vote, giving her an overwhelming popular mandate. In retaliation, Nicolás Maduro’s regime arbitrarily disqualified her from the 2024 presidential election. Despite this, she remained the de facto leader of Venezuela’s freedom movement. After Maduro’s regime fraudulently claimed victory in the 2024 election (widely not recognized by the European Union, Organization of American States, US, and key Latin American countries), Machado was forced into hiding fearing for her life. She continues to face severe personal risk, including reported attempts on her life and constant threats, as a result of her outspoken leadership against what she calls Maduro’s “ruthless regime that is capable of anything…with no limits in their cruelty.” Meanwhile, Maduro’s government has escalated repression to cling to power, jailing and brutalizing thousands. A shockingly brutal post-election crackdown saw more than 2,000 people detained, including children, in late 2024, and a UN fact-finding mission reported at least 25 killed, 2,400+ arrested for peaceful dissent during that period. Close to 9 million Venezuelans have fled since 2014 amid the humanitarian collapse. This is the dire backdrop against which the Nobel Peace Prize announcement comes.
The Nobel Prize changes the dynamics: It shines an international spotlight on Venezuela’s struggle and labels Machado, and by extension the cause of free elections and human rights in Venezuela, as a beacon of peace and justice.
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