Machado Hails Nobel Peace Prize as ‘Impetus’ for Venezuelan Freedom

Calls for Immediate Democratic Transition

CARACAS – In a powerful address that resonated across the global political stage, Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado accepted the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize on Friday, dedicating the honor to the nation’s citizens and transforming the accolade into an urgent call for the immediate restoration of democracy in her homeland.

The Norwegian Nobel Committee’s decision to award Machado for her “tireless work promoting democratic rights” and her “struggle to achieve a just and peaceful transition from dictatorship to democracy” has injected a new and potent dynamic into Venezuela’s protracted political crisis. The award is seen as a major diplomatic and moral boost for the opposition movement.

“With profound gratitude, I accept this honor… on behalf of the people of Venezuela, who have fought for their Freedom with admirable courage, dignity, intelligence, and love,” Machado stated, speaking from Caracas. Her acceptance speech quickly moved from gratitude to a stark indictment of the ruling regime, which she accused of “State terrorism” and “Crimes Against Humanity” over 26 years of rule.

The laureate’s words continue to galvanize her supporters days after the announcement. “This award is a unique impetus that injects energy and confidence into Venezuelans, both inside and outside the country, to complete our task,” she declared, framing the prize not as a culmination, but as a catalyst for the final push toward democratic change.

Machado directly linked the Nobel Committee’s recognition to her movement’s landslide victory in the July 28th presidential election, a result the incumbent government has refused to certify. “It is a firm call for the transition to democracy in Venezuela to be realized immediately, just as we so forcefully mandated in the electoral victory of July 28th,” she asserted, increasing international pressure on the regime to concede power.

The award has been met with jubilation in opposition strongholds across Venezuela and among the millions-strong diaspora. For her supporters, it represents a long-overdue validation of their peaceful struggle and a shield against further repression. Analysts suggest the global spotlight provided by the prize complicates any crackdown by the government.

In her speech, Machado paid tribute to the “immense costs” paid by the Venezuelan people, including “thousands of lives sacrificed and millions forced to leave their homeland.” She also extended “deepest gratitude” to international allies, signaling that her movement feels bolstered by a “global democratic community.”

The Norwegian Nobel Committee, in its citation, praised Machado’s “unwavering commitment to non-violent resistance” and her role in uniting a fragmented opposition. The award solidifies her position as the undisputed moral leader of the democratic cause in Venezuela.

Concluding with a message of resolve, Machado told every Venezuelan, “this award is yours.” She vowed to advance “with even greater strength, confidence, and unwavering faith,” leaving no doubt that the Nobel Peace Prize has become the newest and most powerful weapon in her campaign to secure what she called the nation’s unifying yearning: “Peace in Freedom.”