Dipak Kurmi
(The writer can be reached at dipakkurmiglpltd@gmail.com)
In a world increasingly shadowed by authoritarianism and democratic, the Norwegian Nobel Committee has chosen to illuminate the courage of one woman who has refused to surrender to tyranny. The 2025 Nobel Peace Prize has been awarded to Maria Corina Machado, the Venezuelan opposition leader whose unwavering commitment to democratic principles has transformed her into a symbol of resistance across Latin America and beyond. Her recognition comes at a moment when democracy itself stands imperilled globally, making her story both a celebration of individual bravery and an urgent reminder of the fragility of freedom.
The Committee’s decision honours Machado for her tireless work promoting democratic rights for the people of Venezuela and her struggle to achieve a just and peaceful transition from dictatorship to democracy. As the leader of Venezuela’s democracy movement, she represents one of the most extraordinary examples of civilian courage in Latin America in recent times. Her journey from business professional to democratic champion illustrates how ordinary citizens can become extraordinary agents of change when confronted with injustice.
Venezuela’s transformation from a relatively democratic and prosperous nation into a brutal authoritarian state provides the stark backdrop against which Machado’s courage must be understood. The country now suffers a profound humanitarian and economic crisis, with most Venezuelans living in deep poverty even as a small elite enriches itself through control of state resources. The violent machinery of government has been turned against the nation’s own citizens, resulting in systematic suppression of opposition through election rigging, legal prosecution, and imprisonment. Nearly eight million people have fled the country, creating one of the largest refugee crises in the Western Hemisphere. This exodus represents not merely an economic migration but a desperate escape from political persecution and social collapse.
Machado’s path to becoming a democracy icon began well before Venezuela’s current crisis reached its nadir. After studying engineering and finance, she embarked on a brief business career before dedicating herself to social causes. In 1992, she established the Atenea Foundation, focused on benefiting street children in Caracas. This early humanitarian work demonstrated her commitment to Venezuela’s most vulnerable populations, a concern that would later evolve into a broader struggle for national transformation.
The turning point came in 2002 when Machado co-founded Súmate, an organisation devoted to democratic development and the promotion of free and fair elections. More than twenty years ago, she took a principled stand that would define her political philosophy. As she memorably stated, it was a choice of ballots over bullets. This commitment to peaceful democratic process, even in the face of growing authoritarianism, has remained the cornerstone of her work. Through Súmate, she conducted training and election monitoring, building the infrastructure of civil society that authoritarian regimes find most threatening.
Her transition from civil society activist to elected official came in 2010 when she won a seat in the National Assembly with a record number of votes. This electoral triumph demonstrated her genuine popularity and the Venezuelan people’s hunger for authentic democratic representation. However, the regime recognised the threat she posed and expelled her from office in 2014, a move that revealed the government’s fear of legitimate opposition voices. Rather than retreating, Machado continued her work through the Vente Venezuela opposition party, which she leads, and in 2017 helped establish the Soy Venezuela alliance, a coalition uniting pro-democracy forces across traditional political dividing lines.
Machado’s ability to serve as a unifying figure represents perhaps her most significant contribution to Venezuela’s democratic movement. The opposition had been deeply divided, fragmented by ideological differences and personal rivalries that prevented effective resistance to the regime. She brought these disparate groups together around common ground, the fundamental demand for free elections and representative government. This achievement embodies a crucial democratic principle: our shared willingness to defend the foundations of popular rule even when we disagree on specific policies. At a time when democracy faces threats worldwide, defending this common ground becomes essential to preserving freedom itself.
The 2024 presidential election showcased both Machado’s leadership and the regime’s determination to maintain power through any means necessary. Machado announced her candidacy in 2023, energising the opposition with her message of democratic renewal. The regime responded by blocking her candidacy, denying Venezuelans the right to vote for their chosen representative. Undeterred, Machado threw her support behind Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia, the alternative opposition candidate, demonstrating that her commitment to democracy transcended personal ambition.
What followed was an extraordinary display of civic courage and organizational brilliance. Hundreds of thousands of volunteers mobilised across political divides, trained as election observers to ensure transparency and fairness. Despite facing real risks of harassment, arrest, and torture, citizens throughout the country maintained vigil over polling stations. They documented final tallies before the regime could destroy ballots and falsify results. This grassroots effort represented democracy in its purest form: ordinary people willing to risk everything to protect the integrity of the electoral process.
The opposition’s efforts were innovative, brave, peaceful, and thoroughly democratic. When leaders publicised vote counts collected from election districts across the country, they provided compelling evidence that the opposition had won by a clear margin. International observers recognised the legitimacy of these documented results. However, the regime refused to accept the election outcome and clung to power, revealing the ultimate truth about authoritarianism: it cannot survive genuine democracy and therefore must destroy it.
The personal cost of Machado’s leadership has been severe. Over the past year, she has been forced to live in hiding, facing serious threats against her life. Yet she has made the remarkable choice to remain in Venezuela rather than seek safety in exile. This decision has inspired millions, demonstrating that courage is not the absence of fear but the determination to act despite it. Her presence in the country, even while hidden, serves as a powerful symbol that the fight for democracy continues and that Venezuela’s future belongs to its people, not its oppressors.
Throughout her political career, Machado has consistently advocated for judicial independence, human rights, and popular representation. She has spent years working for the freedom of the Venezuelan people, never wavering in her resistance to the militarisation of Venezuelan society. Her steadfast support for a peaceful transition to democracy, even when violence might seem like the only remaining option, reflects a profound understanding that the means matter as much as the ends. Democracy cannot be built through authoritarian methods; it requires patience, courage, and an unwavering commitment to peaceful processes.
The Nobel Committee noted that Machado meets all three criteria stated in Alfred Nobel’s will for Peace Prize selection. She has unified her country’s opposition, resisted militarisation, and remained steadfast in supporting peaceful democratic transition. More profoundly, she has demonstrated that the tools of democracy are also the tools of peace. This insight carries particular significance in our current global moment, when more elections were held in 2024 than ever before, yet fewer proved genuinely free and fair.
Venezuela’s situation, while extreme, is not unique. The regime’s rigid grip on power and its repression of the population mirror troubling global trends: rule of law abused by those in control, free media silenced, critics imprisoned, and societies pushed toward authoritarian rule and militarisation. Democracy is in retreat worldwide, with authoritarian regimes increasingly challenging established norms and resorting to violence. Understanding this broader context makes Machado’s resistance even more significant. She stands not only for Venezuela but also for the universal principle that people have the right to govern themselves.
The Norwegian Nobel Committee has a long history of honouring brave individuals who have stood up to repression, who have carried hope in prison cells, on streets, and in public squares, and who have proven that peaceful resistance can change the world. Machado joins this distinguished company, embodying the hope of a different future where fundamental rights are protected and voices are heard. Her story reminds us that democracy depends on people who refuse to stay silent, who dare to step forward despite grave risk, and who understand that freedom must never be taken for granted but must always be defended with words, courage, and determination.
When authoritarians seize power, recognising and supporting courageous defenders of freedom becomes crucial. Machado keeps the flame of democracy burning amid growing darkness, offering a vision of Venezuela where people can finally live in peace. Her Nobel Prize celebrates not just past achievements but ongoing struggle, acknowledging that the fight for democracy continues and that its outcome remains uncertain. Yet in honouring her courage, the Nobel Committee sends a powerful message: the world is watching, democratic values matter, and those who defend them deserve our recognition and support. Maria Corina Machado has shown that one person’s courage can inspire millions and that the quest for freedom, however difficult, remains worth every sacrifice.