The Nobel Prizes, established based on Alfred Nobel’s will (1895) and initiated in 1901, have awarded the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize to Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado.
SNPNEWS.IN News Update, Oct 25: The Nobel Prizes, founded under Alfred Nobel’s will (1895) and starting in 1901, are awarded by various institutions based in Sweden and Norway. This year’s most discussed Nobel Prize (Peace) has been awarded to María Corina Machado. U.S. President Donald Trump began efforts to secure this award from the start of his second term, but these efforts proved insufficient.
This year, the Nobel Prizes for Physiology or Medicine, Physics, Chemistry, Literature, and Peace have been announced. The awards will be presented during ceremonies on December 10 in Stockholm (Sweden) and Oslo (Norway, for the Peace Prize), where winners will receive a medal, diploma, and a cash prize (approximately 11 million Swedish Krona in 2025, equivalent to about 1.17 million USD).
Since the beginning of this year, U.S. President Donald Trump has been actively pursuing the Nobel Peace Prize following the start of his second term. However, the nomination deadline had already passed by January 31, before his term began.
Despite this, Trump continued to make claims. During his second term in 2025, he lobbied intensely for the Nobel Peace Prize and highlighted his contributions.
He repeatedly claimed to have “ended seven or eight wars,” a feat he said no other president in history had achieved. These claims were made at the UN General Assembly, in discussions with journalists, and on social media. However, experts have labeled many of these claims as “overstated” and implausible.
Trump claimed to have played a significant role in stopping wars between Gaza (Israel-Hamas), Ukraine-Russia, Kosovo-Serbia, Cambodia-Thailand, DRC-Rwanda, Pakistan-India, Israel-Iran, and Armenia-Azerbaijan.
Trump repeatedly stated: “I worked to save thousands of human lives, but the people in Norway will insult America by giving this award to someone else.” He even called Norway’s Finance Minister to discuss this matter.Trump was nominated by Israel, Pakistan, Azerbaijan, Rwanda, and Cambodia, but these nominations were not considered by the Nobel Committee. His open lobbying at the UN was deemed “inappropriate” by the Nobel Committee.
The Nobel Committee viewed Trump’s claims as a challenge to their impartiality. They did not shortlist Trump and instead announced María Corina Machado as the recipient. Experts suggest that Trump may have a chance in 2026 if his Israel-Gaza plan proves sustainable.
María Corina Machado is a prominent Venezuelan opposition leader and political activist who received the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize for promoting democracy and human rights in Venezuela. The Norwegian Nobel Committee honored her as “the woman who keeps the flame of democracy alive in the dark,” symbolizing her peaceful struggle against the authoritarian Maduro regime. Her work has brought Venezuela’s democratic struggle to the global stage.
In 2002, Machado co-founded Súmate, a non-governmental organization aimed at promoting free and fair elections. It played a significant role in voter awareness and election monitoring, though the government attempted to suppress it.
Machado garnered international support by highlighting Venezuela’s situation in the U.S., Europe, and Latin American countries. Her efforts increased pressure on the Maduro regime, which imposed a 15-year political ban on her. Nevertheless, she continued her peaceful struggle.
Machado is the founder of the opposition party Vente Venezuela, established in 2012. She led peaceful protests and international advocacy against Nicolás Maduro’s government.
In the 2024 presidential elections, she supported Edmundo González, whom the opposition considered the true winner, but Maduro fraudulently claimed victory.
Machado faced arrest threats, political bans, and government persecution. After the 2024 elections, she had to go into hiding to avoid arrest, yet she refused to let her voice be silenced. The Nobel Committee praised her “unyielding courage” and “peaceful struggle.”
The Nobel Committee recognized Machado’s efforts as a “successful struggle against dictatorship” and “significant for the restoration of democracy.” This award acknowledges her decades-long struggle and gives voice to the people of Venezuela.