Why María Corina Machado’s Nobel Peace Prize is sparking controversy | Explained

The biggest critique of the Nobel committee's decision was offered by former Podemos leader and former Vice President of the Government, Pablo Iglesias.

As the world celebrates the announcement of the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize to Venezuela's opposition leader, Maria Corina Machado, for her nonviolent struggle to restore democracy in her country, her victory has also sparked criticism from political opponents, leftist commentators, and international rights groups.

Opposition leader Maria Corina Machado was awarded “for her tireless work promoting democratic rights for the people of Venezuela."(AP)

Machado was criticised by some for her purported connections to conservative political movements in Europe and for being too close to right-wing US interests.

While Machado's Nobel win is being met with joy, there's also acknowledgement that it will do little to improve the situation Venezuelans at risk of deportation face in the US.

Others contend that since she supports international sanctions and pressure from other countries against Venezuela's government, it is contradictory to give her a prize for "peace."

The controversy further intensified after a US Muslim civil rights group, CAIR, condemned the decision, calling on the Nobel Committee to rescind the award.

Meanwhile, Venezuela's ruling party lawmakers slammed the prize as "shameful," accusing Machado of furthering political instability and colluding with foreign powers.

Coup allegations, support for Israel: Why are some people opposing Machado's win?

The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) on Friday strongly condemned the Nobel Committee's "unconscionable" decision to award this year's Nobel Peace Prize to Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, citing her "support" for Israel's Likud party and anti-Muslim fascism in Europe.

"Ms Machado is a vocal supporter of Israel's racist Likud Party and earlier this year she delivered remarks at a conference of European fascists, including Geert Wilders and Marie Le Pen, which openly called for a new Reconquista, referencing the ethnic cleansing of Spanish Muslims and Jews in the 1500s," CAIR said in a statement.

The biggest critique of the Nobel committee's decision was offered by former Podemos leader and former Vice President of the Government, Pablo Iglesias:

"The truth is that to give the Nobel Peace Prize to Corina Machado, who has been trying to stage a coup d'état in her country for years, they could have given it directly to Trump or even posthumously to Adolf Hitler. Next year, let Putin and Zelensky share it. If it's already over...", Iglesias criticised on his profile on the social network X.

Venezuelan lawmaker Willian Rodriguez also condemned the awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize to Maria Corina Machado, the leader of the Venezuelan far-right opposition.

"The fact that the Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to Machado is outrageous and shameful," Rodriguez, a member of Venezuela’s National Assembly and vice president of the Podemos party, told TASS.

Nobel Peace Prize for Maria Machado

The Norwegian Nobel Committee said it was honouring Machado “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.”

Machado, however, said she wanted to dedicate the win to Trump, along with the people of her country, as she praised the president for his support of her cause.