On October 10, 2025, the Norwegian Nobel Committee delivered a shockwave through Venezuela and the international political scene by awarding the Nobel Peace Prize to María Corina Machado, the country’s most prominent opposition leader. In a nation more accustomed to celebrating beauty queens and baseball stars, the recognition came as both a beacon of hope and a source of quiet tension, especially given Venezuela’s fraught political climate and the global drama swirling around the prize’s other would-be recipient: former U.S. President Donald Trump.
The Nobel Committee’s decision, announced from Oslo, cited Machado’s leadership during Venezuela’s turbulent electoral process, her steadfast rejection of militarization, and her unwavering commitment to a peaceful, democratic transition. According to Caracas Chronicles, Machado accepted the honor "with profound gratitude, in the name of the people of Venezuela, who have fought for their freedom with admirable courage, dignity, intelligence, and love." The sentiment echoed through the streets of Caracas, but celebration was tinged with caution. As one resident told La Hora de Venezuela, "When I saw the news about María Corina’s Nobel, the first thing I wanted was to shout it from the window. But then I thought about the CLAP ladies who could report me, and I felt this huge fear. It’s such a shame that we have to celebrate this in silence."
Indeed, fear and repression remain palpable. Many Venezuelans admitted to celebrating the Nobel win quietly, wary of government retaliation. "Of course, I’m happy for María Corina, but I can’t say it too loud. You know how it is, they could arrest you for that. She’s in people’s hearts," a street vendor in Sabana Grande confided. The government’s tight grip on media and public discourse has left much of the population either unaware of the prize or hesitant to discuss it openly. Still, for many, the award put Venezuela’s political plight back on the international stage. "It’s a source of pride and puts the world’s eyes back on Venezuela. I think it’s a tool for international pressure. The government can’t cover it up," said a 25-year-old mother, reflecting a fragile but persistent hope for change.
For supporters of President Nicolás Maduro, however, the Nobel decision was nothing short of an affront. Regime loyalists dismissed Machado as a "terrorist and coup plotter," calling the award an "aberration." Yet, for the opposition, it was a rare moment of validation. "The Nobel Peace Prize honors the political prisoners of 2024, honors the families who keep fighting, honors Machado and all Venezuelans who refuse to accept dictatorship as normal. We got a Nobel because of the Venezuelan people’s stubbornness to reclaim our democracy," said the sister of a man detained during post-election protests.
Meanwhile, the international spotlight swiveled to former U.S. President Donald Trump, who had openly coveted the prize and whose administration played a key diplomatic role in recent Middle East negotiations. According to The Atlantic and The Guardian, Trump’s hope for the Nobel Peace Prize was a not-so-secret motivator behind recent U.S. foreign policy moves, including a push for a truce between Israel and Hamas. The agreement, which aimed to return all hostages held by Hamas to Israel, was widely attributed to Trump’s diplomatic efforts. Yet, the Nobel Committee’s decision was made public just days before this breakthrough, leaving Trump empty-handed—at least for now.
Trump’s disappointment was palpable and public. Hours before the Nobel announcement, he lashed out at former President Barack Obama, who received the honor in 2009. "They gave it to Obama for doing absolutely nothing but destroying our country," Trump told reporters in the Oval Office, as quoted by theGrio. "He was not a good president. The worst president was Sleepy Joe Biden, but Obama was not a good president. How many months after he won the election, then they gave [him] the Peace Prize? My election was a much more important election."
Trump’s frustration wasn’t limited to Obama. He accused the Nobel Committee of political bias, claiming, "They won’t give me a Nobel Peace Prize because they only give it to liberals." The White House, for its part, highlighted Trump’s role in brokering several peace deals, including the Abraham Accords between Israel, the United Arab Emirates, and Bahrain, and more recently, the tentative peace deal between Israel and Hamas, which sought to end a two-year conflict that killed more than 68,000 Palestinians. White House Communications Director Steven Cheung called the Nobel decision proof that the committee "places politics over peace."
But Trump’s critics were quick to pounce. Michael Blake, a former Obama White House aide, told theGrio, "Trump is a fascist and he is a weak man who has been jealous of President Obama his entire career. The president actually pursued and implemented peace, while Trump continues to implement hate." Blake further argued, "You don’t ever deserve to win a Nobel Peace Prize when you are promoting hate and fear."
Norwegian Nobel Committee Chairman Jørgen Watne Frydnes stood by the committee’s decision, praising Machado as a "brave and committed champion of peace" who "keeps the flame of democracy burning during a growing darkness." Frydnes emphasized that the committee’s choices are guided solely by "the work and the will of Alfred Nobel."
Norway, for its part, found itself in an awkward position. As The Guardian reported, some Norwegian officials worried that Trump, known for his unpredictability, might retaliate with trade sanctions or other measures against Oslo for being "snubbed." In July 2025, Trump reportedly asked former NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg—now Norway’s finance minister—about the Nobel Prize, underscoring how personally he took the matter. Analyst Harald Stanghelle speculated that Trump could even "impose tariffs on Norway or demand greater investment in NATO," or in a more extreme scenario, "declare Oslo an enemy of the United States."
Despite all the drama, the American public remained deeply divided on the issue. An Ipsos poll published by The Washington Post in September 2025 found that about half of Republicans believed Trump did not deserve the Nobel Peace Prize, and only 22% of Americans overall supported awarding it to him. The poll, notably, was conducted before the Israel-Hamas truce was announced, leaving open the question of whether public opinion might shift in the wake of recent events.
Back in Venezuela, the Nobel Peace Prize brought a momentary respite from daily hardship. "A kilo of meat is already $14, it was half that two weeks ago. A bag of powdered milk that doesn’t even weigh a full kilo costs $13. The dollar’s price rises every day, and so do food prices. It’s impossible to live like this," lamented a street vendor. For many, the Nobel was a symbol of hope, but also a reminder of the gulf between international recognition and the reality of life under dictatorship. "We have to use this award to reorganize and keep protesting peacefully," one young mother said, capturing the mix of pride and pragmatism that defines the Venezuelan opposition’s response.
As the world watched, the Nobel Committee’s decision reverberated far beyond Oslo, stirring emotions from the streets of Caracas to the corridors of power in Washington. Whether the prize will spur real change in Venezuela or reshape the ambitions of world leaders like Trump remains to be seen. But for one day at least, the Nobel Peace Prize put the spotlight squarely on the enduring struggle for democracy and dignity in Venezuela.