Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado on Friday hailed her Nobel Peace Prize win as a recognition of “the struggle of all Venezuelans to achieve freedom,” while expressing gratitude toward former US President Donald Trump for his continued support.
Machado, honored for her efforts “to achieve a just and peaceful transition” in Venezuela, said the award strengthens her nation’s resolve to restore democracy.
“We are on the threshold of victory, and today more than ever, we count on President Trump, the people of the United States, and the democratic nations of the world as our main allies,” she wrote on X.
Her remarks came after the Norwegian Nobel Committee chose Machado over Trump for the 2025 Peace Prize, a decision that drew criticism from the White House.
Officials argued the committee had “placed politics over peace,” citing Trump’s recent claims of mediating global conflicts, including the Gaza truce.
Machado, who was barred from running in the 2024 presidential elections against Nicolás Maduro, remains a symbol of Venezuela’s pro-democracy movement despite facing persecution and threats.
