VENEZUELA – Maria Corina etched her name in hisotry books as defiant opposition leader has been awarded 2025 Nobel Peace Prize.
Engineer by Profession
The 58-year-old studied industrial engineering and finance before becoming a political powerhouse. She got praised for her tireless work promoting democracy and human rights in Venezuela.
Champion of Democracy and Dark Phase
Corina is known as a Lady of Steel, and has been a fearless opponent of Nicolás Maduro, leading protests, challenging government corruption, and even facing attacks and harassment for her activism.
After winning the opposition’s primary election in 2023, Machado’s rallies drew large crowds. However, a ban preventing her from holding public office stopped her from running against Nicolás Maduro in the 2024 presidential election, prompting her to go into hiding.
Machado briefly appeared during protest before Maduro’s inauguration in January, during which she was briefly detained and later released.
Divorce and Child Safety Concerns
Maria is divorced and has three children. In wake of safety concerns, her children do not live with her in Venezuela; instead, they live in other countries to stay safe.
Her family has been directly affected by the political danger she faces, and her children have had to move abroad for their protection.
Súmate founder
Machado founded the political party Vente Venezuela and was the most-voted candidate in the 2010 National Assembly polls.
Before politics, she co-founded Súmate, a civic organization focused on monitoring elections and ensuring transparency, which led to legal battles with the Chávez government and international recognition for her dedication to democracy.
Global Recognition
From BBC’s 100 Women to Time’s 100 most influential people, Machado’s work has been acknowledged worldwide. She has also received the Sakharov Prize and the Václav Havel Human Rights Prize for her advocacy.
Nobel Peace Prize 2025 awarded to Maria Corina Machado, Trump’s hopes dashed
