The Nobel Committee awarded Maria Corina Machado, a Venezuelan activist and opposition leader, the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize for her struggle to achieve a just and peaceful transition from dictatorship to democracy and for her tireless efforts to promote democratic rights for the people of Venezuela.

The BBC recognizes Machado as one of the 100 most inspiring and influential leaders in the world. She stands out for her strong and independent voice in Venezuela’s traditionally male-dominated political arena.

Who is Maria Corina Machado?

Maria Corina Machado, a key leader of the Vente Venezuela party, was born on October 7, 1967. She leads Venezuela’s opposition and works as an industrial engineer. Forbes notes that the Venezuelan activist and leader prefers to be known simply as Maria Corina. Before entering politics, she co-founded Sumate, a civil society NGO.

Maria Corina also helped establish Vente Venezuela, a liberal political organization formed in 2013, and serves as its national coordinator. In the 2010–2015 elections, she won the highest number of votes among all candidates and earned a seat in the National Assembly, where she served from 2011 to 2014.

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In 2004, while serving as Sumate’s vice president, Maria led the campaign to recall then-Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez through a referendum. Authorities investigated her for conspiracy and treason after Sumate accepted foreign funding.

In 2001, Maria Corina spoke strongly about Venezuela’s political direction. “Something clicked,” she said in a 2004 interview with The Washington Post. “I felt I couldn’t just stay home and watch the nation fall apart and grow divided. We needed to keep the electoral process alive but change its course to give Venezuelans a chance to vote and reduce tensions before they exploded. The choice was between ballots and bullets.”

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