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Maria Corina Machado in tears after she hears of Nobel win, says 'I have no words'
Talking to the Director of the Norwegian Nobel Institute, Maria Corina Machado said that she does not "deserve" the award as she is just one person.
Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado said on Friday that her Nobel Peace Prize 2025 is a win for “the whole movement and society”.
Talking to the Director of the Norwegian Nobel Institute, Kristian Berg Harpviken, Maria Corina said that she does not "deserve" the award as she is just one person.
The Venezuelan democracy activist was in tears when she was told that she had won this year's Nobel Peace Prize.
“Oh my God, I have no words,” she told Harpviken on a phone call.
“Thank you, but I hope you understand, this is a movement. This is the achievement of the whole society. I’m just one person. I certainly do not deserve this,” she added.
Maria Corina said that she was “honoured, humbled and grateful" on behalf of the Venezuelan people.
“We are not there yet. We are working very hard to achieve it, but I am sure that we will prevail,” she said on bringing democracy to Venezuela.
According to the chair of the Norwegian Nobel committee, Jørgen Watne Frydnes, the former Venezuelan opposition presidential candidate was lauded for being a “key, unifying figure" in the once deeply divided opposition to President Nicolás Maduro’s government.
The Oslo-based Norwegian Nobel Committee said in a statement on Friday that Maria Corina was chosen “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. " She will receive the prize worth 11 million Swedish kronor ($1.2 million) as part of the prize.
White House criticises Nobel committee for snubbing Donald Trump
The White House criticised the Nobel Committee on Friday after the Donald Trump administration was overlooked for the Nobel Peace Prize, claiming the selection reflects political bias rather than a commitment to global peace.
“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. The Nobel Committee proved they place politics over peace,” White House Director of Communications Steven Cheung wrote on X.
