VENEZUELAN opposition leader Maria Corina Machado has dedicated her 2025 Nobel Peace Prize to the people of Venezuela and former U.S. President Donald Trump, praising his “decisive support” for the country’s pro-democracy struggle.
“I dedicate this prize to the suffering people of Venezuela and to President Trump for his decisive support of our cause,” Machado wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
“We stand on the threshold of victory, and now more than ever, we count on President Trump, the American people, Latin Americans, and democratic nations worldwide as our allies in achieving freedom and democracy.”
The Norwegian Nobel Committee announced Machado as the 2025 Peace Prize laureate today, recognizing her “tireless efforts in promoting democratic rights for Venezuelans and advocating for a peaceful transition from dictatorship to democracy.”
Machado, 58, has spent the past year in hiding following Venezuela’s disputed election, which many international observers claim was rigged in favor of President Nicolás Maduro.
Although barred from running, she supported Edmundo González Urrutia, a former diplomat widely regarded as the rightful winner.
A long-time critic of Maduro’s government, Machado has also endorsed Trump’s campaign of military pressure on Caracas — including a major U.S. naval deployment near Venezuelan waters — describing it as a “necessary step” toward restoring democracy.
Following her post, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt shared Machado’s message on her own X account, amplifying the Venezuelan leader’s words of gratitude to Trump.
Several of her fellow opposition figures, including Henrique Capriles, a two-time presidential candidate, also celebrated her recognition. “May this honor further inspire our pursuit of peace and freedom for Venezuela,” Capriles wrote.
Machado’s award comes amid renewed debate over global support for Venezuela’s democracy movement and follows the White House’s recent criticism of the Nobel Committee’s decision not to acknowledge Trump’s peace efforts, describing it as “politics over peace.”