Venezuelan Opposition Leader María Corina Machado Awarded Nobel Peace Prize
Oslo, Norway – Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado has been awarded the 2024 Nobel Peace prize for her efforts to restore democracy in Venezuela, the Nobel Committee announced Friday. The committee cited Machado’s unwavering commitment to peaceful democratic change despite facing political persecution and systemic obstacles.
Machado, a vocal critic of President Nicolás Maduro, has been barred from holding public office but remains a prominent figure in the country’s opposition movement. Her campaign for the July 2024 presidential elections was hampered by a government-imposed ban, and several of her collaborators, including her campaign manager, sought refuge in the diplomatic compound of the Venezuelan embassy in Caracas for over a year before fleeing to the United States in May.
The award recognizes Machado’s dedication to challenging authoritarian rule through non-violent means.”She is a great woman,” said Sandra Martínez, 32, a Caracas resident waiting at a bus stop, expressing disbelief and support for the news.
The maduro government has yet to comment on the prize.Support for Machado and the broader opposition has waned since the july elections and Maduro’s inauguration to a third six-year term in january, leading to widespread disappointment among supporters.
Machado was previously recognized as one of Time magazine’s 100 most influential people in April, with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio describing her as “the Venezuelan Iron Lady” and “the personification of resilience, tenacity and patriotism.”
With this award,Machado becomes the 20th woman to receive the Nobel Peace Prize,joining a total of 112 laureates.
The proclamation followed intense speculation that the prize might be awarded to former U.S.President Donald Trump, particularly after his administration’s efforts to broker a ceasefire in Gaza. Nobel Committee chair berit Frydnes emphasized the committee’s independence, stating they ”have seen all kinds of campaigns and media attention” and based their decision “solely on the work and will of Alfred Nobel.”
The Nobel Peace Prize is uniquely awarded in Oslo, Norway, while the prizes in medicine, physics, chemistry, and literature were announced this week in Stockholm, Sweden.The Nobel Prize in Economics will be announced on Monday.
