Conflicts

María Corina Machado Awarded Nobel Peace Prize; Daughter Accepts in Oslo

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Dec 10, 2025

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Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado was awarded the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize on Wednesday, but she did not attend the ceremony in Oslo. Her daughter, Ana Corina Sosa Machado, accepted the prize and delivered a speech written by her mother. Machado, who has been in hiding, was reportedly on her way to Oslo to reunite with her family. Her daughter stated that Machado would return to Venezuela after her visit.

The Norwegian Nobel Committee recognized Machado for her work promoting democratic rights and a peaceful transition in Venezuela. After winning an opposition primary in 2023, Machado was barred by the government from running against President Nicolas Maduro in the July 28, 2024, election. The opposition then united behind replacement candidate Edmundo González. Following the vote, Venezuela's National Electoral Council, which one summary described as being filled with Maduro loyalists, declared the incumbent president the winner.

In the speech read by her daughter, Machado claimed that González had won the election with 67% of the vote, a result she said was verified by volunteers. The speech asserted that since 1999, the Venezuelan government had dismantled democracy, leading to a severe economic collapse, widespread poverty, and the forced migration of nine million people.

The speech further alleged that after the election, the government initiated a campaign of terror, resulting in 2,500 people being kidnapped, disappeared, or tortured. These actions were described in the speech as "state terrorism" and "crimes against humanity" that it said were documented by the United Nations. The speech also contained allegations of torture of detained children and the sexual slavery of female prisoners. According to one summary, the presidents of Argentina, Ecuador, Panama, and Paraguay were expected to attend the ceremony.

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• The incumbent president was officially declared the winner of the election. Following the July 28, 2024, vote, Venezuela's National Electoral Council declared President Nicolas Maduro the winner. This official body, which one summary described as being filled with Maduro loyalists, is responsible for validating election results in the country.

• A key opposition leader was barred from participating in the election. The government prevented opposition leader María Corina Machado from running against President Maduro in the presidential election. This action was taken after she had won the opposition's primary contest in 2023.

• The government is accused by the opposition of severe post-election repression. In a speech accepting the Nobel Peace Prize, María Corina Machado alleged that the government initiated a "campaign of terror" after the election. These allegations include claims of kidnapping, torture, and "crimes against humanity," which the speech said were documented by the United Nations.

How it may affect me

As a U.S. reader:

• The ongoing crisis, which the article says has caused a "forced migration of nine million people," may continue to affect migration levels at the U.S. border.

• International attention from the Nobel Prize could increase pressure on the U.S. government to adjust its foreign policy and diplomatic strategy toward Venezuela.

• Allegations of "crimes against humanity" said to be documented by the UN could form a basis for potential U.S. legal actions or sanctions against individuals.

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