Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado won the Nobel Peace Prize on Friday for promoting democratic rights in her country and her struggle to achieve a transition to democracy, the Norwegian Nobel Committee said.
Machado, a 58-year-old industrial engineer who lives in hiding, was blocked in 2024 by Venezuela's courts from running for president and thus challenging President Nicolas Maduro, who has been in power since 2013.
"When authoritarians seize power, it is crucial to recognise courageous defenders of freedom who rise and resist," it said in its citation.
The committee chose to focus on Venezuela at this time, in a year dominated by U.S. President Donald Trump's repeated public statements that he deserves the Nobel Peace Prize.
Ahead of the announcement, experts on the award had said Trump would not win it as he is dismantling the international world order the Nobel committee cherishes.
The Nobel Peace Prize, worth 11 million Swedish crowns, or about $1.2 million, is due to be presented in Oslo on 10 December, the anniversary of the death of Swedish industrialist Alfred Nobel, who founded the awards in his 1895 will.
This year’s Peace Prize was chosen from a total of 338 nominations — 244 individuals and 94 organisations, submitted from around the world. The announcement took place at the Nobel Institute in Oslo, Norway.
The 2024 Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to Nihon Hidankyo, the Japan Confederation of A- and H-Bomb Sufferers Organizations, “for its efforts to achieve a world free of nuclear weapons and for demonstrating through witness testimony that nuclear weapons must never be used again.”
Since its establishment in 1901, the Nobel Peace Prize has honored individuals and organisations that have made exceptional contributions to ending conflict, building international cooperation, and advancing human dignity.
The official ceremony will be held at Oslo City Hall in December, where the laureate will deliver the traditional Nobel Lecture.
White House reacts
The White House on Friday criticized the Nobel Prize committee's decision to award the peace prize to a Venezuelan opposition leader instead of U.S. President Donald Trump.
"President Trump will continue making peace deals, ending wars, and saving lives. He has the heart of a humanitarian, and there will never be anyone like him who can move mountains with the sheer force of his will," White House spokesman Steven Cheung said in a post on X.
"The Nobel Committee proved they place politics over peace."
Bolivian President-elect Rodrigo Paz was sworn in as the country's new President on Saturday ending almost 20 years of one-party rule....
A tornado accompanied by strong winds and heavy rain struck the southern Brazilian state of Parana, killing six people, the state government said on S...
Peace talks between Afghanistan and Pakistan broke down, although a ceasefire continues between the South Asian neighbours, a Taliban spokesperson sai...
UPS and FedEx have grounded their fleets of McDonnell Douglas MD-11 cargo planes after a deadly crash at UPS's Worldport hub in Louisville, Kentucky, ...
Six people have died with one other injured, after a fire broke out in a perfume warehouse in the Dilovasi district of Türkiye on Saturday....
Bolivian President-elect Rodrigo Paz was sworn in as the country's new President on Saturday ending almost 20 years of one-party rule.
A tornado accompanied by strong winds and heavy rain struck the southern Brazilian state of Parana, killing six people, the state government said on Saturday.
Peace talks between Afghanistan and Pakistan broke down, although a ceasefire continues between the South Asian neighbours, a Taliban spokesperson said on Saturday.
UPS and FedEx have grounded their fleets of McDonnell Douglas MD-11 cargo planes after a deadly crash at UPS's Worldport hub in Louisville, Kentucky, which killed 14 people, including three pilots. The incident is under investigation by the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).
Kendrick Lamar and Lady Gaga lead the 2026 Grammy nominations, while K-Pop enters the Song of the Year category for the first time in the award’s history.
Israel launched airstrikes on southern Lebanon after ordering evacuations, accusing Hezbollah of rebuilding its forces despite a year-old ceasefire, as Lebanon and the United Nations warned of renewed border tensions.
U.S. Senate Republicans have blocked a resolution that would have barred President Donald Trump from launching military action against Venezuela without congressional approval, despite growing concern over recent U.S. strikes in the southern Caribbean.
Despite promises of recovery from the new government, Germany’s economy continues to stagnate, with no signs of renewed momentum. According to the latest report from the German Chamber of Industry and Commerce (DIHK), the country still lacks the drive needed for a genuine economic rebound.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk won shareholder approval on Thursday for the largest corporate pay package in history as investors endorsed his vision of morphing the electric vehicle (EV) maker into an artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics juggernaut.
Bolivian President-elect Rodrigo Paz was sworn in as the country's new President on Saturday ending almost 20 years of one-party rule.
A tornado accompanied by strong winds and heavy rain struck the southern Brazilian state of Parana, killing six people, the state government said on Saturday.
Peace talks between Afghanistan and Pakistan broke down, although a ceasefire continues between the South Asian neighbours, a Taliban spokesperson said on Saturday.
UPS and FedEx have grounded their fleets of McDonnell Douglas MD-11 cargo planes after a deadly crash at UPS's Worldport hub in Louisville, Kentucky, which killed 14 people, including three pilots. The incident is under investigation by the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).
Six people have died with one other injured, after a fire broke out in a perfume warehouse in the Dilovasi district of Türkiye on Saturday.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment