Venezuelan opposition leader receives award for promoting democratic rights for the people of Venezuela.

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– She receives the Nobel Peace Prize for her work in promoting democratic rights for the people of Venezuela, and for the fight to achieve a just and peaceful transition from dictatorship to democracy, says head of the Nobel Committee, Jørgen Watne Frydnes.

He calls her a unifying figure in a political opposition that was once deeply divided.

– She is an extraordinary example of civil courage in Latin America in recent times, he says.

Machado is the leader of the Vente Venezuela party, was a member of the Venezuelan parliament from 2011 to 2014 and founded the election observation organization Súmate.

– For the past year, she has been forced to live in hiding, but has nevertheless remained in Venezuela, which has inspired millions of people, says Frydnes.

– I am in shock.

Venezuelan opposition politician Edmundo González has posted a video of himself speaking with the peace prize winner on the phone.

– I'm in shock, I can't believe it, she says in the video.

Committee Secretary Kristian Berg Harpviken also spoke with the Peace Prize winner on Friday.

– She was immediately speechless, but said it was overwhelming, and that it is an award for the entire Venezuelan democracy movement, Harpviken tells NRK.

Resisted Trump pressure

White House communications director Steven Cheung makes it clear that the United States is unhappy that President Donald Trump did not receive the award.

– Trump should continue to make deals, end wars, and save lives, Cheung writes on X, adding:

– The Nobel Committee made it clear that they put politics before peace.

Trump has repeatedly said that he deserves the Peace Prize. Frydnes has previously said that such media reports do not influence the committee, but was again asked about the Trump pressure on Friday.

"In the long history of the Nobel Peace Prize, I think this committee has seen every type of campaign and media attention. We get thousands of letters every year from people who want to say what, for them, leads to peace," he replied, emphasizing that they base their decisions solely on the will of Alfred Nobel.

Lives in hiding

Harpviken emphasizes that Machado lives in hiding and moves from place to place in Venezuela, and that it will be exciting to see if she comes to Oslo to receive the award - but that that was not a topic during the conversation.

– We really hope so, that she can, that we can pay tribute to her at the city hall on December 10th.

Machado also said she is confident that the opposition will succeed in ensuring a peaceful transition to democracy in Venezuela, according to AFP.

– We are not there yet. We are working very hard to achieve it, but I am sure that we will prevail, she told Harpviken.

"This is certainly the greatest recognition of our people, who truly deserve this. I am just one person, I do not deserve this," she continued.

Collective opposition

Machado was the opposition's presidential candidate before the 2024 elections. However, the regime blocked her candidacy, and she gave her support to Edmundo Gonzéles Urrutia, who represents one of the other opposition parties.

Machado then mobilized hundreds of thousands of volunteers across political lines.

They were trained as election observers to ensure a fair election, despite the risk of harassment, arrest and torture, according to the Nobel Committee.

Citizens across the country participated and ensured that the election results could be verified and documented before the regime could destroy ballots and lie about the results. The efforts of a united opposition both before and during the election were innovative, courageous, peaceful and democratic, the committee believes.

– The election results showed that the opposition had clearly won the election, but the regime refused to accept this result and clung to power, says Frydnes.

Venezuela has evolved from a relatively democratic and thriving country to a brutal and authoritarian state that is now suffering humanitarianally and is in economic crisis, he emphasizes.

– Democracy depends on people who refuse to remain silent and who dare to stand up despite serious risk.

– Meets the criteria

The committee believes that Machado meets all three criteria set by Alfred Nobel:

She has united the country's opposition in standing against the militarization of Venezuelan society. She has faithfully supported a peaceful transition to democracy, and she has shown that the tools of democracy are also tools for peace.

She embraces the hope for a different future where citizens' fundamental rights are protected, Frydnes states.

– The world is becoming more unsafe

Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre (Ap) calls the award important.

“This is an important award and underlines the importance of the fight for citizens' fundamental rights in a world where democratic values are under pressure,” he said in a statement.

This year's Peace Prize is also a message to a world where democracy is in decline, says the head of the Nobel Committee.

– Living in a world where we have less and less democracy and more and more authoritarian regimes means that the world is also becoming more unsafe. And we believe that democracy is a prerequisite for peace, says Frydnes.

– So yes, that is the message to the world. We must support the democratic forces also in the name of peace.