Newly announced Nobel Peace Prize winner, María Corina Machado, has dedicated her 2025 Nobel Peace Prize to both the people of Venezuela and former U.S. President Donald Trump, acknowledging his “decisive support” for her country’s pro-democracy movement.
In a post shared on X (formerly Twitter), Machado wrote:
“I dedicate this prize to the suffering people of Venezuela and to President Trump for his decisive support of our cause!
We are on the threshold of victory and today, more than ever, we count on President Trump, the people of the United States, the peoples of Latin America, and the democratic nations of the world as our principal allies to achieve freedom and democracy.”
Machado, 58, has spent the past year in hiding in Venezuela following elections widely viewed as fraudulent, in which President Nicolás Maduro was accused of stealing victory. Barred from running, she instead backed her ally Edmundo González Urrutia, whom much of the international community recognises as the rightful winner.
The Norwegian Nobel Committee awarded Machado the Peace Prize 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.”
A vocal supporter of U.S. pressure on Maduro, Machado has described Trump’s military and diplomatic stance — including a U.S. naval deployment near Venezuela — as a “necessary measure” to restore democracy in her country.
Following her post, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt reshared Machado’s message on X, amplifying her tribute to Trump.
Trump, who has repeatedly claimed credit for multiple peace efforts — including what he called the “first phase” of a Gaza ceasefire — had been considered a contender for the Nobel Peace Prize. However, Nobel Committee Chair Jorgen Watne Frydnes said Trump was “not the most deserving candidate.”
