The Norwegian Nobel Committee on Friday announced Maria Corina Machado as the winner of the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize for her efforts to promote democratic rights in Venezuela and her “struggle to achieve a just and peaceful transition from dictatorship to democracy.”
Machado, a prominent opposition leader, has long been at the forefront of Venezuela’s pro-democracy movement, advocating for human rights and free elections amid deep political turmoil.
When asked why US President Donald Trump did not receive the prize despite public backing from some quarters, Nobel Committee Chair Jørgen Watne Frydnes stressed that the panel’s decisions are grounded solely in the principles outlined by Alfred Nobel.
“In the long history of the Nobel Peace Prize, I think this committee has seen any type of campaigns, media attention. We receive thousands of letters every year of people wanting to say what for them leads to peace. This committee sits in a room filled with the portraits of all laureates, and that room is filled with both courage and integrity. So, we base our decision only on the work and will of Alfred Nobel,” Frydnes said during a press conference following the announcement.
Trump, who has repeatedly claimed he deserves the Nobel Peace Prize for stopping “eight wars” in eight months, once again failed to cut.
Experts weigh in on committee’s decision
Nobel observers say the committee tends to value sustained, multilateral efforts toward peace over short-term diplomatic breakthroughs. Theo Zenou, a historian and research fellow at the Henry Jackson Society, told Reuters that Trump’s record lacks evidence of long-term impact.
“There’s a huge difference between getting fighting to stop in the short term and resolving the root causes of the conflict,” Zenou said.
He also pointed out that Trump’s stance on climate change runs counter to the values upheld by the Nobel Committee, which increasingly views environmental issues as central to global peace.
“I don’t think they would award the most prestigious prize in the world to someone who does not believe in climate change. When you look at previous winners who have been bridge-builders, embodied international cooperation and reconciliation: These are not words we associate with Donald Trump,” Zenou added.
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