Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado wins the Nobel Peace Prize

By KOSTYA MANENKOV REGINA GARCIA CANO and GEIR MOULSON Associated Press OSLO Norway Venezuelan opposition leader Mar a Corina Machado won the Nobel Peace Prize on Friday winning recognition as a woman who keeps the flame of democracy burning amid a growing darkness The former opposition presidential candidate was lauded for being a key unifying figure in the once deeply divided opposition to President Nicol s Maduro s leadership declared J rgen Watne Frydnes chair of the Norwegian Nobel committee Related Articles Hungarian master of absurdist excess L szl Krasznahorkai wins Nobel literature prize UC Berkeley professor Omar Yaghi wins Nobel prize in chemistry UC Berkeley professor Omar M Yaghi shares Nobel Prize in chemistry with two other scientists UC Berkeley s John Clarke wins Nobel Prize for discovery that led to iPhone quantum computers George Smoot dies at Nobel laureate researched the universe s origins at UC Berkeley In the past year Ms Machado has been forced to live in hiding Watne Frydnes announced Despite serious threats against her life she has remained in the country a choice that has inspired millions When authoritarians seize power it is crucial to recognize courageous defenders of freedom who rise and resist He reported the AP that the committee was able to reach Machado just before the announcement and it came as a surprise Exiled opposition candidate celebrates Machado s ally Edmundo Gonz lez who lives in exile in Spain posted a short video of himself speaking by phone with Machado I am in shock she announced adding I cannot believe it Gonz lez celebrated Machado s Nobel win in a post on X calling it a very well-deserved recognition for the long fight of a woman and of a whole people for our freedom and democracy Maduro s cabinet has routinely targeted its real or perceived opponents Machado who turned this week was set to run against Maduro but the regime disqualified her Gonz lez who had never run for office before took her place The lead-up to the poll saw widespread repression including disqualifications arrests and human rights violations Crackdown on dissent The crackdown on dissent only increased after the country s National Electoral Council which is stacked with Maduro loyalists declared him the winner despite credible evidence to the contrary The electoral contest results revealed by the Electoral Council sparked protests across the country to which the executive responded with force that ended with more than people dead They also prompted an end to diplomatic relations between Venezuela and various foreign countries including Argentina Machado went into hiding and has not been seen in general since January A Venezuelan court issued an arrest warrant for Gonz lez over the publication of ballot results He went into exile in Spain and was granted asylum Before dawn in Caracas with meager vehicles out yet on the Venezuelan capital s usually crowded streets selected people heading to work expressed disbelief at the news of Machado s win I don t know what can be done to improve the situation but she deserves it commented Sandra Mart nez as she waited at a bus stop She s a great woman Endorsement for Machado and the opposition in general has decreased since the July poll particularly since January when Maduro was sworn in for a third six-year term and disappointment set in Last year Machado and Gonz lez were awarded the European Union s top human rights honor the Sakharov Prize Machado becomes the th woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize of the individuals who have been honored Speculation about Trump s Nobel chances There had been persistent speculation ahead of the announcement about the possibility of the prize going to U S President Donald Trump fueled in part by the president himself and amplified by this week s approval of his plan for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip Requested about lobbying for and by Trump Watne Frydnes explained I think this committee has seen any type of campaign media attention We receive thousands and thousands of letters every year of people wanting to say what for them leads to peace This committee sits in a room filled with the portraits of all laureates and that room is filled with both courage and integrity So we base only our decision on the work and the will of Alfred Nobel White House spokesperson Steven Cheung noted in a post on X Friday morning that President Trump will continue making peace deals around the world ending wars and saving lives He added that the Nobel Committee proved they place politics over peace Last year s award went to Nihon Hidankyo a grassroots movement of Japanese atomic bombing survivors who have worked for decades to maintain a taboo around the use of nuclear weapons The peace prize is the only one of the annual Nobel prizes to be awarded in Oslo Norway Four of the other prizes have already been awarded in the Swedish capital Stockholm this week in medicine on Monday physics on Tuesday chemistry on Wednesday and literature on Thursday The winner of the prize in economics will be declared on Monday Garcia Cano stated from Mexico City and Moulson from Berlin Jorge Rueda contributed from Caracas Venezuela and Mike Corder from The Hague Netherlands AP coverage of Nobel Prizes https apnews com hub nobel-prizes