María Corina Machado, seen campaigning here in Caracas, Venezuela, in January, was lauded as an "extraordinary example of civilian courage." Pedro Matey/AFP/Getty Images

María Corina Machado , a Venezuelan opposition leader driven into hiding since a disputed election last year, has been awarded the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize for keeping “the flame of democracy burning amid a growing darkness.”

Machado received the accolade for tirelessly promoting democratic rights in Venezuela and “for her struggle to achieve a just and peaceful transition from dictatorship to democracy,” the Norwegian Nobel Committee said Friday, announcing the award at a ceremony in Oslo.

Born in Caracas, Venezuela’s capital, in 1967, Machado trained as an industrial engineer before entering politics. In 2002, she

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