Maria Corina Machado’s Nobel Win Triggers Criticism; Here’s Why

Last Updated:October 11, 2025, 15:57 IST

Right after she was announced the winner of the Nobel Peace Prize 2025, several online posts emerged on social media recalling Machado’s previous expressions of support for Israel.

Maria Corina Machado has been awarded the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize. (IMAGE: AP file)

Venezuelan democracy leader Maria Corina Machado received the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize. However, her win has sparked a debate with many political leaders criticising her. While the Nobel Committee hailed her as a defender of democracy and peace, critics accused her of hypocrisy, citing her past support for Israel and her calls for foreign intervention in Venezuela.

Machado, a prominent face of Venezuela’s pro-democracy movement, was recognised for her “courage and dedication” in challenging President Nicolás Maduro’s authoritarian rule. The Nobel Committee described her as a “champion of peace” who has continued to fight for the country’s democratic future despite threats to her life.

Why She Was Chosen?

Announcing the award in Oslo, Jorgen Watne Frydnes, chair of the Nobel Committee, said Machado had become “a key, unifying figure in a political opposition that was once divided.” The Committee praised her determination to keep the “flame of democracy burning in Venezuela amid growing darkness.”

Frydnes added that Machado had shown “the tools of democracy are also the tools of peace”, inspiring millions by remaining in Venezuela even while in hiding. “When authoritarians seize power, it is crucial to recognise courageous defenders of freedom who rise and resist,” he said.

Criticism On Social Media

Right after she was announced as the winner of the Nobel Peace Prize for 2025, several online posts emerged on social media recalling Machado’s previous expressions of support for Israel and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud party. Critics accused her of backing Israel’s military actions in Gaza, with some describing her as sympathetic to “genocide.”

Although Machado never openly endorsed violence against Palestinians, she has long voiced solidarity with Israel, once saying, “The struggle of Venezuela is the struggle of Israel.” In another post, she called Israel a “genuine ally of freedom” and even promised to shift Venezuela’s embassy to Jerusalem if she came to power.

Norwegian lawmaker Bjornar Moxnes argued that Machado’s links to Likud — which he said was responsible for the “Gaza genocide” — made the Nobel choice inconsistent with the prize’s purpose. The Council on American-Islamic Relations also condemned the move, calling it an “unconscionable decision” that undermines the Committee’s credibility.

Foreign Intervention Row

Machado has also faced criticism for urging international help to overthrow Maduro’s regime. In 2018, she wrote to the leaders of Israel and Argentina, asking them to use their influence to help “dismantle the criminal Venezuelan regime, intimately linked to drug trafficking and terrorism.”

Despite the backlash, the Nobel Committee has stood by its choice, saying Machado’s fight for democracy represents “the hope of a different future.”

General About the Author

Anushka Vats

Anushka Vats is a Sub-Editor at News18.com with a passion for storytelling and a curiosity that extends beyond the newsroom. She covers both national and international news. For more stories, you can follow her…Read More

Anushka Vats is a Sub-Editor at News18.com with a passion for storytelling and a curiosity that extends beyond the newsroom. She covers both national and international news. For more stories, you can follow her…

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