Today, the Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado. Machado earned the award 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."
Here's a little more from the Nobel Committee's rationale behind their decision:
Venezuela has evolved from a relatively democratic and prosperous country to a brutal, authoritarian state that is now suffering a humanitarian and economic crisis. Most Venezuelans live in deep poverty, even as the few at the top enrich themselves. The violent machinery of the state is directed against the country’s own citizens. Nearly 8 million people have left the country. The opposition has been systematically suppressed by means of election rigging, legal prosecution and imprisonment.
Venezuela’s authoritarian regime makes political work extremely difficult. As a founder of Súmate, an organisation devoted to democratic development, Ms Machado stood up for free and fair elections more than 20 years ago. As she said: “It was a choice of ballots over bullets.” In political office and in her service to organisations since then, Ms Machado has spoken out for judicial independence, human rights and popular representation. She has spent years working for the freedom of the Venezuelan people.
President Trump and his administration have long opposed Venezuelan leader Nicholas Maduro. Back in September, members of his administration were urging the President to oust the socialist dictator amid the ongoing battle with Venezuelan narco terrorists.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio calls Maduro "an illegitimate leader who oversees the export of drugs to the United States," according to the New York Times, and classifies Maduro as an "imminent threat" to American interests.
Because of his work, Machado dedicated her Nobel Peace Prize to the people of Venezuela and President Trump:
This recognition of the struggle of all Venezuelans is a boost to conclude our task: to conquer Freedom.
— María Corina Machado (@MariaCorinaYA) October 10, 2025
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…
The entire post reads:
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.
I dedicate this prize to the suffering people of Venezuela and to President Trump for his decisive support of our cause!
We have to wonder how the Nobel Committee took this news.
The Nobel Committee right now. https://t.co/WgH9mdZr1C pic.twitter.com/NP6KciGQw4
— Carl Paulus (@CarlPaulus) October 10, 2025
That's probably an accurate portrayal. Many people, including Rep. Randy Fine (R-FL), would like to see President Trump win the Nobel, not for his work in Venezuela but for his historic Middle East peace deal. The deadline for nominations is January 31, and we don't doubt several people will nominate President Trump for the honor.