Maria Corina Machado has been awarded the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize, often called “Venezuela’s Iron Lady” for her fearless fight for democratic rights. She was also recently featured in Time Magazine’s list of the 100 Most Influential People of 2025.The Nobel Committee said it chose Machado in recognition of her “tireless work” in defending democracy and her efforts to lead Venezuela toward a peaceful and fair transition from dictatorship to democracy.They described her as a “brave and committed champion of peace” who “keeps the flame of democracy burning during a growing darkness.”
Who is Maria Corina Machado?
Maria Corina Machado (Photo: @Ryder56004614/X)
Born in Venezuela in 1967, Machado has been a leading voice against authoritarianism in her country. Maria founded the Atenea Foundation in 1992, focused on improving the lives of street children in Caracas. In 2002, she co-founded Súmate, an organization promoting free and fair elections and election monitoring, contributing greatly to democratic processes in Venezuela. She was elected to the Venezuelan National Assembly in 2010 with a record number of votes but was expelled by the regime in 2014. Since then, she has led the opposition Vente Venezuela party and co-founded the Soy Venezuela alliance, uniting various pro-democracy forces in the country.
Maria Corina Machado’s education and early career
Regarding María Corina Machado’s family and personal life, detailed public information is limited, as her public focus has primarily been on her political and social activism. However, she is known to come from a well-educated background in industrial engineering from Universidad Católica Andrés Bello and a finance specialisation from IESA, and initially worked in business before dedicating herself to activism and politics.
About Maria Corina Machado’s personal life
María Corina Machado is divorced and has three children. Her husband, Ricardo Sosa Branger, left Venezuela due to the political turmoil and threats surrounding Machado’s activism. Machado’s children also live abroad for safety reasons.According to an interview published in ELLE magazine, Machado has been in hiding for over 14 months due to threats from the Venezuelan government led by Nicolás Maduro. While she remains in Venezuela, her husband fled the country to ensure his safety. Her three children also left, except for her eldest daughter, Ana Corina, who chose to stay by Machado’s side as her support during this dangerous time. Machado’s children are Henrique (the youngest), Ricardo (middle), and Ana Corina (eldest).In an interview with ELLE, Machado recalled a pivotal moment over 13 years ago when she realized the difficulty of balancing motherhood with her political activism. After denouncing corruption openly in the National Assembly, she became concerned for her daughter’s safety, telling her at that time, “You have to go.”
Controversy around her presidential candidature
In 2023, she announced her candidacy for the 2024 presidential election but was blocked from running. Instead, she supported the opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia, who the opposition claims was the true winner despite the regime declaring otherwise.Machado’s Nobel Prize honors her commitment to democracy at a time when democratic rights are under threat globally. Her efforts are seen as vital to preserving the freedoms of expression, voting rights, and representation, which are fundamental to peace both within and between nations.
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