'Could be key ally for Venezuela': Nobel laureate Maria Corina Machado hails India as model democracy

Awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her decades-long struggle to restore democratic governance in Venezuela, Machado praised India’s democratic tradition and international influence. (File photo)

Maria Corina Machado, the Venezuelan opposition leader and winner of the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize, has lauded India as a “great democracy” and a global example for other nations.

Speaking from a secret location where she has been in hiding for over a year, Machado said India could emerge as a “key partner” for Venezuela once the country transitions to democracy.

Awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her decades-long struggle to restore democratic governance in Venezuela, Machado praised India’s democratic tradition and international influence.

“India has been an example for many countries, for many generations, as the largest democracy in the region and in the world. Democracies must always be strengthened and never taken for granted,” she said during an interaction with Times Now.

Machado, born in 1967, expressed her hope to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi and “host him in a free Venezuela very soon.” She mentioned that her daughter recently visited India and that she has several Venezuelan friends residing in the country. The Nobel laureate also said she closely follows Indian politics and draws inspiration from Mahatma Gandhi’s philosophy of non-violence, adding, “Being peaceful is not weakness. Gandhi showed humanity what that means.”

Machado further noted that Indian companies could play a major role in Venezuela’s energy, infrastructure, and telecom sectors once the country dismantles the socialist structures she says have caused widespread damage.

Discussing Venezuela’s 2024 presidential elections, Machado alleged that the government of Nicolás Maduro engaged in systematic fraud. She claimed she had won the opposition primary with strong public backing but was barred from contesting.

“We won with 70% of the vote and were able to prove it. When we offered Maduro a negotiated transition, he refused and unleashed the worst repression wave in our history,” Machado alleged, citing disappearances, torture, and other human rights abuses under Maduro’s rule.

Acknowledging international support, Machado described US President Donald Trump as a “main ally” in Venezuela’s democratic struggle. She praised efforts from Latin America, Europe, and potentially Asia to hold Maduro accountable.

“The Venezuelan people have been fighting for over 20 years against a brutal tyranny that has destroyed one of the wealthiest nations in the Western Hemisphere,” she said. “We are determined that the sovereign will of our population is respected, and this will happen very soon. We trust that the Indian people will support a peaceful transition to democracy and freedom in Venezuela.”

Reacting to the Nobel recognition, Machado admitted she was still processing the award. “It was an absolute surprise. That the international community and the Nobel Committee recognized this struggle is a huge moment. It will give significant momentum to the final stage of our peaceful transition.”

The Nobel Committee cited Machado for her “tireless work promoting democratic rights for the people of Venezuela and her struggle to achieve a just and peaceful transition from dictatorship to democracy.”