Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize on Friday, October 10 (local time). The engineer-turned-politician had earlier this year defended US President Donald Trump’s decision to revoke licences allowing US energy companies to operate in Venezuela despite the long-standing sanctions.
BREAKING NEWS
The Norwegian Nobel Committee has decided to award the 2025 #NobelPeacePrize to Maria Corina 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… pic.twitter.com/Zgth8KNJk9— The Nobel Prize (@NobelPrize) October 10, 2025
Speaking to POLITICO in January, Machado said the move was essential to cut off what she described as the “criminal organisation” of President Nicolás Maduro’s regime, which, she argued, depends on illicit trade and oil revenues to maintain its grip on power.
Machado Defended Trump’s Sanctions as a ‘Necessary Step’
In her January interview, Machado praised Trump’s decision to cancel licences that had been reinstated under former President Joe Biden, including Chevron’s, which had enabled the export of around 300,000 barrels of Venezuelan oil per day. The arrangement reportedly provided Maduro’s government with nearly $500 million a month in revenue.
“This is what can weaken a criminal system and the flow of cash in the case of the Maduro regime comes from absolutely illicit sources tied to drug trafficking, oil, gold and minerals smuggling, money laundering and then permitted income from oil licences,” she told POLITICO. Dismissing criticism that sanctions could worsen living conditions, she had asked, “Do you think that money coming in from the licences went to pensions or schools or hospitals? That money was going into the pockets of the corrupt.”
Her endorsement of the sanctions aligned her with Washington’s tougher stance against Caracas, even as her own safety was under threat. At the time, Machado was in hiding following repeated attempts by Maduro’s allies to intimidate her and other opposition figures, including Edmundo González, who fled to Spain.
Trump and Machado: Distinct Styles, Common Cause
Despite differences in political philosophy, Trump and Machado share a common adversary in Nicolás Maduro. Trump has consistently labelled the Venezuelan president “a fugitive of American justice” and sought to isolate his regime economically and diplomatically. Machado, meanwhile, has long championed a liberal democratic vision for Venezuela rooted in market reform, institutional rebuilding, and engagement with global financial institutions.
Her 15-year roadmap for Venezuela projects a transformation from what she calls the “criminal hub of the Americas” into a stable energy and economic centre. The plan includes privatisation of state-run industries, economic diversification, and re-establishing ties with the IMF and World Bank to attract investment and restore credibility.
Though Trump’s approach has at times been more unilateral and force-driven, Machado’s focus remains on institutional transition and democratic renewal. Yet their shared hostility to Maduro, and mutual recognition of each other’s stance, underscores how Venezuela’s future could remain intertwined with US foreign policy interests.
