Activist Maria Corina Machado wins 2025 Nobel Peace Prize; Trump misses out

By Suman Rodrigues

Oslo: Venezuelan opposition leader and democracy activist Maria Corina Machado has been awarded the 2025 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,” the Norwegian Nobel Committee announced on Friday.

Machado, a long-time critic of President Nicolás Maduro’s regime, has been a central figure in Venezuela’s pro-democracy movement, calling for free and fair elections and the restoration of constitutional governance. The committee praised her “unwavering courage and commitment to non-violent resistance,” placing her among global figures recognized for advancing democracy under repressive regimes.

Her selection comes after weeks of speculation and was confirmed through the official Nobel Prize handle on X. The award underlines the committee’s focus on sustained, peaceful advocacy for human rights and democracy amid global political turbulence.

Meanwhile, former U.S. President Donald Trump, who had been openly lobbying for the Nobel Peace Prize since his return to office in January, did not make the cut despite backing from certain countries, including Israel and Pakistan. His supporters had pointed to his role in brokering a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas and his claims of de-escalating tensions between India and Pakistan earlier this year.

Support Independent Journalism? Keep us live.

However, the Norwegian Nobel Committee clarified that all nominations supporting Trump were submitted after the February 1 deadline, making them ineligible for consideration. Committee chair Jørgen Watne Frydnes said the panel’s decision was “based only on the work and will of Alfred Nobel,” dismissing suggestions that political pressure or campaigns influenced the outcome.

“In the long history of the Nobel Peace Prize, this committee has seen every kind of campaign and media attention. We base our decision only on the work and will of Alfred Nobel,” Frydnes said at a press conference in Oslo.

Analysts say Trump’s record lacked the “sustained, multilateral engagement” typically favored by the committee. Historian Theo Zenou told Reuters that while Trump’s diplomatic interventions had produced short-term results, they had yet to show long-term impact. He added that Trump’s dismissal of climate change also runs counter to the committee’s broader understanding of peace as linked to global sustainability and cooperation.

 

You might also like More from author

Comments are closed.