Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado was awarded the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize on Friday for her fight against “dictatorship” in Venezuela, dedicating the honor to “the suffering people of Venezuela and to President Trump for his decisive support.”
Machado, a 58-year-old industrial engineer, was barred by Venezuelan courts in 2024 from running for president and challenging Nicolás Maduro, who has ruled the country since 2013.
The White House condemned the Nobel Committee’s decision just days after President Trump announced a major breakthrough in negotiations to end the conflict in Gaza between Israel and Hamas.
“President Trump will continue making peace deals, ending wars, and saving lives… The Nobel Committee proved they place politics over peace,” White House spokesperson Steven Cheung wrote in a post on X.
Russian President Vladimir Putin also reacted to the decision, saying, “This award lost credibility. The committee discussed the prize for people who have done nothing for the world. He [Trump] solves complex problems, crises that last for decades.”
In a message posted on X, Machado dedicated the award to “the suffering people of Venezuela and to President Trump for his decisive support,” calling it “a boost to conclude our task: to conquer Freedom.” She said Venezuela was “on the threshold of victory,” crediting Trump, the United States, and other democratic nations as key allies in the fight for freedom and democracy.
