For the Nobel Peace Prize 2025, the Committee Reviewed 338 Nominations in Total, including 244 Individuals and 94 Organisations.

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Venezuelan democracy activist María Corina Machado has been awarded the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize, recognizing her years of unwavering struggle for freedom and justice in her country. 

After decades of activism and political resistance, María Corina Machado’s Nobel Peace Prize win symbolizes both her personal triumph and the Nobel Committee’s integrity amid global political pressures.

Democracy Wins

The Norwegian Nobel Committee announced Maria Corina Machado as the winner of the Nobel Prize for Peace in 2025. The former opposition presidential candidate in Venezuela was lauded for being a “key, unifying figure in a political opposition that was once deeply divided – an opposition that found common ground in the demand for free elections and representative government,” said Jorgen Watne Frydnes, chair of the Norwegian Nobel committee.

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“The Norwegian Nobel Committee has decided to award the Nobel Peace Prize for 2025 to Maria Corina Machado. She is receiving the Nobel Peace Prize 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,” the committee said.

Machado will receive the prize worth 11 million Swedish kronor ($1.2 million).

Last year, Nihon Hidankyo received the prize for the movement of Japanese atomic bombing survivors who have spent decades campaigning to uphold the global taboo against nuclear weapons.

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Nobel Integrity Prevails

For the Nobel Peace Prize 2025, the committee reviewed 338 nominations in total, including 244 individuals and 94 organisations. Maria Corina Machado's win came amidst the buzz around US President Donald Trump, who had been actively lobbying for the award. However, the committee capped weeks of speculation and global interest in one of the world's most prestigious and unpredictable honors.

Trump's push intensified this week after international approval of his plan for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, fueling speculation that the committee might recognize his foreign policy interventions.

However, experts had consistently cautioned that Trump’s chances were slim, noting the committee’s historical focus on sustained peace-building and international cooperation rather than headline-grabbing diplomacy. The Nobel Prize committee usually rewards efforts that promote durable peace, foster international fraternity, and strengthen institutions working quietly toward those goals.

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White House Responds

“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.

Ever since the announcement, social media has been flooded with posts showing Trump looking visibly disappointed, along with captions mocking his reaction to missing the honour. Donald Trump actively campaigned for the honour, citing his involvement in various international peace initiatives. He even claimed credit for mediating ceasefires in conflicts involving Israel and Hamas, Armenia and Azerbaijan, Cambodia and Thailand, as well as India and Pakistan following Operation Sindoor.

Previously, four American presidents: Theodore Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson, Jimmy Carter, and Barack Obama received the Nobel Prize in Peace.

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