Venezuelan democracy activist wins Nobel Peace Prize PHOTO

This year’s Nobel Peace Prize has been awarded to Venezuelan democracy campaigner María Corina Machado, a figure who has largely remained in hiding since last year’s presidential elections.

Machado, an opposition leader, is recognised "for her tireless work promoting democratic rights for the people of Venezuela" and "her struggle to achieve a just and peaceful transition from dictatorship to democracy," the Nobel Committee announced, Caliber.Az reports.

Described as "one of the most extraordinary examples of civilian courage in Latin America in recent times," by the committee’s chairman, Machado’s continued presence in Venezuela despite grave threats has drawn international attention.

The Norwegian Nobel Committee highlighted in its statement that it “has always honoured brave women and men who have stood up to repression, who have carried the hope of freedom in prison cells, on the streets and in public squares, and who have shown by their actions that peaceful resistance can change the world," BBC writes.

“In the past year, Ms Machado has been forced to live in hiding despite serious threats against her life,” the committee added. “She has remained in the country, a choice that has inspired millions.”

The committee emphasised the importance of recognising “courageous defenders of freedom” and democracy.

“Maria Corina Machado meets all the three criteria stated in Alfred Nobel’s will for the selection of a peace prize,” the committee stated. “She has brought her country’s opposition together. She has never wavered in resisting the militarisation of Venezuelan society. She has been steadfast in her support for a peaceful transition to democracy.”

Machado has spent years advocating for the freedom of the Venezuelan people ahead of the 2024 election. Although initially the opposition’s presidential candidate, her candidacy was blocked by the regime. She subsequently supported Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia, the candidate from a different party.

Despite previous campaigns and calls from figures such as US President Donald Trump, who led a public push for the award, the nomination period had closed earlier this year, before Trump’s second term began.

When asked by reporters about Trump’s very public desire to win the peace prize, the Nobel Committee’s chairman, Jorgen Watne Frydnes, responded that they only base their decision “on the work and the will of Alfred Nobel”.

By Sabina Mammadli