Who is Maria Corina Machado? Venezuelan woman who shattered Trump's 'Nobel' wish

Maria Corina Machado.

Venezuela's Maria Corina Machado was on Friday awarded the Nobel Peace Prize "for her tireless work promoting democratic rights for the people of Venezuela" by the Norwegian Nobel Committee.

The committee chose to focus on Venezuela at this time, in a year dominated by US President Donald Trump's repeated public statements that he deserves the Nobel Peace Prize.

BREAKING NEWS
The Norwegian Nobel Committee has decided to award the 2025 #NobelPeacePrize to Maria Corina Machado for 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… pic.twitter.com/Zgth8KNJk9

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— The Nobel Prize (@NobelPrize) October 10, 2025

Who is Maria Corina Machado?

- Maria received the Nobel Peace Prize for 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.

- As the leader of the democracy movement in Venezuela, Maria Corina Machado is one of the most extraordinary examples of civilian courage in Latin America in recent times.

- Announcing the award, Nobel Committee chairman Jorgen Watne Frydnes described Machado as “a brave and committed champion of peace” and “a woman who keeps the flame of democracy burning amidst a growing darkness.”

- Machado, a central figure in Venezuela's pro-democracy movement, is a powerful symbol of civilian courage in Latin America. For decades, she has defied the repressive regime of Nicolas Maduro, enduring threats, arrests and political persecution. Despite living under constant risk, she has remained in Venezuela, inspiring millions through her insistence on peaceful resistance and free elections.

- Maria, also known as the Venezuelan Iron Lady, was also on this year’s TIME Magazine “100 most influential People” list.

- Machado is a Venezuelan politician, industrial engineer, and leader of the - opposition movement VENTE Venezuela, a center-right political party she founded in 2012.

- She gained prominence after her landslide victory in the 2023 opposition primary, where she won more than 92 per cent of the vote, positioning herself as a central figure in the campaign for free and fair elections.

- Over the years, Maria has become a symbol of resistance against authoritarianism in Venezuela’s male-dominated political landscape. The BBC named her among the 100 most influential women in the world in 2018.