Maria Corina Machado Wins 2024 Nobel Peace Prize, Beating Trump’s Hopes

Venezuelan opposition leader and pro-democracy activist Maria Corina Machado has been awarded the 2024 Nobel Peace Prize, recognized for her “tireless work promoting democratic rights” and her efforts toward a peaceful transition from dictatorship to democracy in Venezuela.

Announcing the award in Oslo on Friday, Jorgen Watne Frydnes, chair of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, described Machado as “one of the most extraordinary examples of civilian courage in Latin America in recent times.”

“I am in shock,” the 58-year-old opposition figure said in a video shared with AFP by her press team.

The committee praised her unwavering stand against oppression, noting that despite serious threats to her life, she “remained in the country,” inspiring millions. Machado has lived in hiding for over a year, with reports suggesting she may be sheltering at the US embassy in Caracas.

Venezuelan opposition figure Edmundo González Urrutia, who represents her in the 2024 presidential race after her candidacy was blocked by President Nicolás Maduro’s government, hailed the award as “a well-deserved recognition of the long struggle of a woman and an entire people for freedom and democracy.”

Often dressed in white and cheered like a rock star, Machado has become a symbol of defiance against Venezuela’s authoritarian regime. A trained engineer, she first entered politics in 2002, leading the civic group Sumate, which pushed for a referendum to recall late President Hugo Chávez.

Her activism led to treason accusations and death threats, forcing her to send her children abroad for safety.

Machado’s latest honor follows previous recognitions, including the EU’s Sakharov Prize for Human Rights and the Council of Europe’s Václav Havel Prize.

Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump, who has openly expressed his wish to receive the Nobel Peace Prize for his mediation efforts in global conflicts, missed out again this year. Despite recent US-led peace talks in Gaza, the Nobel Committee reiterated that lobbying and political influence do not affect its decisions.

“We base our decision only on the work and the will of Alfred Nobel,” Frydnes emphasized.

The Nobel Peace Prize, which includes a $1.2 million cash award, a gold medal, and a diploma, will be formally presented in Oslo on December 10, marking the anniversary of Alfred Nobel’s death.

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