Overview

• The Norwegian Nobel Committee said it honored Machado for promoting democratic rights and pursuing a just, peaceful transition away from authoritarian rule in Venezuela.
• Machado remains in hiding inside the country after a brief arrest in January 2025, with her whereabouts undisclosed.
• The prize lands after Venezuela’s disputed July 2024 election, in which independent counts indicated opposition candidate Edmundo González led despite authorities declaring Nicolás Maduro the winner and unleashing a crackdown.
• European leaders, including European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, publicly welcomed the award as a powerful message in support of those resisting repression.
• White House communications director Steven Cheung criticized the decision as political, while Committee chair Jørgen Watne Frydnes defended it as grounded in Alfred Nobel’s will and the institution’s integrity.