Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado won the Nobel Peace Prize on Friday for promoting democratic rights in her country and her struggle to achieve a transition to democracy, the Norwegian Nobel Committee said.

Following are some facts about the democracy campaigner:

UPPER-CLASS BACKGROUND

Maria Corina Machado, 58, was born in Caracas, Venezuela, on October 7, 1967. She is an industrial engineer by training, and her father was a prominent businessman in Venezuela's steel industry. Her upper-class roots have made her a target of criticism from Venezuela's governing socialist party.

IN HIDING

Machado won a resounding victory in the opposition's primary election in 2023 and her rallies attracted large crowds, but a ban from holding public office prevented her from running

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