The Nobel Peace Prize has stood as a symbol of bravery and the advancement for peace since 1901. Every year, the Nobel Committee comes together with nominations from figures around the world. However, for 2025, this was especially challenging as the world has been dealing with adversity after adversity. After careful consideration, the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize Recipient is Maria Corina Machado.
Machado was awarded with this honor due to 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.” Venezuela has had a long history of dictatorship since the late 1800’s to now with Nicolás Maduro.
Under Maduro’s power hold, his presidency has been marked by significant political and economic turmoil. This includes human rights abuses, authoritarianism, and challenges to the legitimacy of his elections. However, Machado has been the face of democracy in Venezuela as she fights for a change.
In 1992, she established the Atenea Foundation, which works to benefit street children in Caracas. 10 years later, she kept pushing for the rights for her country as she became one of the founders of Súmate which promotes free and fair elections. Not only that, but has conducted training and election monitoring.
However, things began to take a shift for the worst after she was elected to the National Assembly. The regime expelled her from the office in 2014. With this, it only lit the fire inside of her as Machado now leads the Vente Venezuela opposition party. In 2017, she also took it upon herself to help found the Soy Venezuela alliance, which unites pro-democracy forces in the country across political dividing lines.
During these years of being disregarded and casted as the enemy to the Venezuelan government, Machado kept working to inspire her people. The dark times filled with abuse and fear consumed Venezuela, but Machado made it her goal to give them something to find hope in. She did this with her candidacy for president in 2024.
Although she was later blocked from running and the regime declared victory again, she kept protesting against the government and the results of the election. During this time, Machado was getting hundreds of death threats due to her voice, forcing her into hiding. Even with this unfortunate situation, Machado remains a symbol of democracy.
PPCHS senior Valentina Suarez who is from Latin America herself believes “Machado’s work is extremely brave. Not only that, but it is so important that her fight for democracy is being highlighted through this award.”
On the other end, Machado is under fire for who she dedicated her prize to. She told National Public Radio that she had dedicated her prize “to the people of Venezuela and President Trump.” She later ends her comment on the subject by saying she thinks it’s the “correct thing to do, not only for what he has been doing in the last month to solve long and painful conflicts.”
At first when Machado first won, the internet went wild at the irony behind a latina receiving this award with all of the ICE raids occurring under Trump’s administration. But once she admitted to answering his call about her award and dedicating it to him, most were confused.
“I was definitely bewildered by this duo, but I feel like it is more important to focus on her work for Venezuela than this,” comments PPCHS junior James Gayoso.
For the past decades, Maria Corina Machado has been setting the groundwork for democracy in Venezuela. Although her journey hasn’t and probably will never be stable, her impact on her country will always be.
