Khaberni - An unexpected victory even for her, Venezuelan Maria Corina Machado expressed her astonishment after receiving the news of her Nobel Peace Prize win for 2025, stating, "I am in shock... What is this? I can't believe it!".
The Norwegian Nobel Committee announced the award to Machado in recognition of her "tireless work in promoting the democratic rights of the Venezuelan people and her struggle for a fair and peaceful transition from dictatorship to democracy." The committee added, "When despots seize power, the brave defenders of freedom who stand up and resist must be honored."
Machado was born in the Venezuelan capital, Caracas, on October 7, 1967. She is the eldest daughter among four girls to a psychologist and an iron industrialist and businessman.
She holds a degree in industrial engineering from "Andres Bello" Catholic University and a master's degree in finance from the "Institute of Advanced Studies in Management" in Caracas. She was also part of the World Fellows program at Yale University in 2009.
Machado entered the political arena in 2002 as the founder and leader of the election monitoring group (Sumate). She serves as the national coordinator of the "Vente Venezuela" party and was a member of the Venezuelan National Assembly (parliament) between 2011 and 2014.
Machado was a candidate in the 2012 Venezuelan presidential elections but lost in the primary elections, and during the Venezuela protests in 2014, she was one of the leading figures in organizing demonstrations against the government of President Nicolas Maduro.
In 2019, during the Venezuelan presidential crisis, she declared she would run for presidency a second time if interim disputed president Juan Guaido managed to call for new elections, but Guaido failed in his efforts.
She tried to run for presidency but was barred by the Venezuelan comptroller general for a duration of 15 years, and the Supreme Court of Justice in Venezuela confirmed her disqualification in 2024.
Machado published a letter in the "Wall Street Journal" where she said she had gone into forced disappearing "fearing for my life and freedom and the lives of my countrymen from dictator Nicolas Maduro," after the Maduro government banned her from leaving the country.
She has been suffering from isolation after almost all her top advisors were either detained or forced to leave the country.
Machado received the "Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought" from the European Parliament in 2024 in recognition of her efforts to defend democracy and human rights in Venezuela, according to a press statement from the prize committee.
Nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize
The "Inspira America" foundation joined heads of 4 universities in 2024 to promote Machado's nomination for the Nobel Peace Prize, highlighting her "tireless struggle for peace in Venezuela." Florida state legislators submitted a letter of support for the nomination stating that her "brave leadership and selflessness, and her steadfast loyalty in pursuing peace and democratic principles" were reasons for the nomination.
The letter added that Machado was "pivotal in mobilizing local and international support to find a peaceful resolution to the ongoing election fraud crisis" and her efforts in "highlighting human rights violations occurring under the current regime embody the same principles that the Nobel Peace Prize seeks to honor," according to those who endorsed her for the award.
And just yesterday, it was officially announced that she won the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize.
Supported by Washington
Machado is primarily supported by the United States to topple the anti-America Venezuelan president, where U.S. President Donald Trump announced a reward for information leading to the arrest of Maduro, accusing him of being "one of the biggest drug traffickers in the world," according to the "BBC" website.
The reward amounted to 50 million dollars, and the Venezuelan government described this move as "pitiful."
According to the "New York Times," the hostility did not end there, as in 2024 the United States recognized Venezuelan opposition leader Edmundo Gonzalez as the legitimately elected president of the country, following the elections held in July.
Trump then stated on social media: "The Venezuelan democracy activist Maria Corina Machado and the elected president Gonzalez are peacefully expressing the voices and will of the Venezuelan people with hundreds of thousands of people demonstrating against the regime. These freedom fighters should not be harmed, and must remain safe and alive."
Supporter of Venezuelan-Israeli Relations
Machado's victory caused jubilation in Tel Aviv, as she had previously called for restoring relations with the state of occupation and strengthening them, ties that were severed by the administration of former president Hugo Chavez during the Gaza War 2008-2009.
According to "i24 News" channel in Israel, the opposition party led by Machado, "Vente Venezuela," signed a cooperation agreement with the Likud party led by Benjamin Netanyahu in 2020, aimed at enhancing relations between the two peoples, which included cooperation in political, ideological, social, strategic, geographical, and security affairs.
Machado openly stated that democratic forces in Venezuela and in the state of occupation have a "common enemy," representing the "criminal forces that undermine freedom and peace in the world."
She also highlighted Venezuela's historical support for Tel Aviv, and Machado sees strengthening relations with Israel as a strategic matter "in facing threats such as the threat from Iran."
Additionally, her party has relationships with European far-right parties, including some with anti-Semitic tendencies, raising concerns about trends of Islamophobia and xenophobia.
Machado advocates for economic liberal reforms, including the privatization of state-owned companies, such as the Venezuelan oil company. She also supports the establishment of social welfare programs aimed at assisting the poorest citizens in the country.
In any case, her victory was only half the news, as Trump's failure to win the prize dominated the rest of the news and captured the debate on social media platforms.
