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."
Negotiators from the United States and Iran are set to begin peace talks in Switzerland on Sunday, as a dispute over the Strait of Hormuz threatens to...
A severe heatwave sweeping across much of Europe has led France to restrict alcohol consumption at public events, while Germany issued widespread heat...
The number of confirmed Ebola cases in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has risen to 956, including 247 deaths, according to the country’s healt...
Britain's Observer newspaper reported that Prime Minister Keir Starmer is expected to resign on Monday and outline a timetable for his departure. Howe...
Iran's top joint military command, Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, has said that the Strait of Hormuz is closed to ships again, citing a...
A new film by Swedish filmmaker Mikael Silkeberg traces a cultural journey from Scandinavia to Azerbaijan. The documentary ‘The Homeland in Memory’, available to watch now on AnewZ, looks at how cultural memory in Western Azerbaijan has resisted displacement through its preservation in tradition.
Bolivian President Rodrigo Paz has declared a state of emergency, authorising the military to clear roadblocks that have paralysed the economy for 50 days and left at least 14 people dead.
ISIS has claimed responsibility for killing two Syrian soldiers in the northern provine of Aleppo, in a statement on the group's Telegram channel.
A 46-year-old Italian tourist has died after a major fire tore through a beachfront hotel in the Dominican Republic, forcing the evacuation of nearly 1,700 guests and staff.
A train driver has been killed and nine people remain in a critical condition in hospital, after two trains collided near Beford in the east of England on Friday. The passenger trains heading to London collided at around 17:15 local time (1615 GMT).
Morocco captain and PSG defender Achraf Hakimi will face trial in France after an appeals court ruled there was enough evidence for the case to proceed.
Paraguay kept their World Cup hopes alive with a hard-fought 1-0 victory over Türkiye, but the celebrations were tempered by a costly red card for veteran forward Miguel Almirón.
A magnitude 5.8 earthquake struck southwest of Greece’s island of Crete on Saturday, with no immediate reports of damage.
Israel and Hezbollah have agreed to a ceasefire, a senior U.S. official has said. Hezbollah has released a statement saying Israel must leave southern Lebanon. Israel has said it agrees to the ceasefire, but has said its armed forces won't leave Lebanon and will resume hostilities if attacked.
Negotiators from the United States and Iran are set to begin peace talks in Switzerland on Sunday, as a dispute over the Strait of Hormuz threatens to complicate a fragile ceasefire.
A severe heatwave sweeping across much of Europe has led France to restrict alcohol consumption at public events, while Germany issued widespread heat warnings and Spain closed a football fan zone in Madrid.
The number of confirmed Ebola cases in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has risen to 956, including 247 deaths, according to the country’s health authorities.
Britain's Observer newspaper reported that Prime Minister Keir Starmer is expected to resign on Monday and outline a timetable for his departure. However, a government source said Starmer remains focused on governing.
Ukranian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has warned of an impending massive Russian attack on Ukraine. It comes days after Kyiv carried out a major aeriel assault on Russia, including striking an oil refinery just 16km (10 miles) from the Kremlin in Moscow, sparking a major fire and killing four.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment