Venezuelan opposition leader wins Nobel Peace Prize over Trump
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Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado waves a national flag during a protest on Jan. 9. Photo: Juan BARRETO / AFP via Getty Images
Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado won the Nobel Peace Prize Friday, sidelining President Trump who has openly campaigned for the honor.
The big picture: The prize is considered the world's top diplomatic recognition, and the Norwegian Nobel Committee's pick rebuffs Trump's attempts to sell himself as the world's greatest peacemaker.
Driving the news: The committee awarded Machado the honor Friday "for her tireless work promoting democratic rights for the people of Venezuela and for her struggle to achieve a just and peaceful transition from dictatorship to democracy."
- The 58-year-old industrial engineer lives in hiding. Venezuela's courts blocked her from running for president and thus challenging President Nicolas Maduro, who has been in power since 2013.
- "Maria Corina Machado has shown that the tools of democracy are also the tools of peace," the committee said in a release. "She embodies the hope of a different future, one where the fundamental rights of citizens are protected, and their voices are heard. In this future, people will finally be free to live in peace."
What she's saying: "This recognition of the struggle of all Venezuelans is a boost to conclude our task: to conquer Freedom," Machado said in an X post Friday.
- "I dedicate this prize to the suffering people of Venezuela and to President Trump for his decisive support of our cause!"
State of play: Trump told the UN General Assembly in September his efforts to resolve "unendable wars" around the world merited a Nobel.
- Despite multiple nominations during his presidencies, Trump has never won the prize.
- He previously criticized the committee's 2009 award to former President Obama, saying the former president "had no idea why he got it."
- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu nominated Trump in July, followed by endorsements from others.
White House spokesperson Steven Cheung said on X that the committee "proved they place politics over peace."
- "President Trump will continue making peace deals, ending wars, and saving lives," Cheung said. "He has the heart of a humanitarian, and there will never be anyone like him who can move mountains with the sheer force of his will."
By the numbers: The 2025 Nobel Peace Prize included 338 registered candidates, composed of 244 individuals and 94 organizations.
- Only four U.S. presidents have won the coveted award: Teddy Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson, Jimmy Carter and Obama.
- A September poll found that only 22% of Americans surveyed said Trump should win, including fewer than half of Republicans.
Zoom out: The decision comes two days after Trump announced Israel and Hamas agreed to phase one of the peace deal, which he described as the start of a "Strong, Durable, and Everlasting Peace," in a Truth Social post Wednesday.
Go deeper: Trump wants a Nobel Peace Prize. Most Americans say he doesn't deserve one.
Editor's note: This story was updated with additional info from the committee's announcement, a comment from a White House spokesperson and a post from Machado.
