María Corina Machado Honored for Democracy Fight; U.S. President’s Public Campaign May Have Undermined His Chances
The Norwegian Nobel Committee awarded the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize to Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado, passing over U.S. President Donald Trump despite his highly publicized campaign for the honor and his role in recent Middle East diplomacy.
The committee recognized Machado for her unwavering dedication to advancing democratic rights in Venezuela and her efforts to guide the nation toward a peaceful transition from authoritarian rule to democracy.
Trump had actively sought the prestigious award, receiving multiple nominations from international politicians—some observers suggest these nominations were attempts to gain favor with the American leader. His supporters pointed to his involvement in the Gaza ceasefire negotiations and the Abraham Accords from his first term as evidence of his peacemaking credentials.
However, his public lobbying effort may have backfired. Committee member Juergen Warne Frydnes addressed the speculation following the announcement, emphasizing the committee’s independence. “Throughout the extensive history of the Nobel Peace Prize, this committee has witnessed every conceivable type of campaign and media attention,” Frydnes stated. “We receive thousands of communications annually from individuals expressing their views on peace. Our deliberations take place surrounded by portraits of past laureates—a room embodying courage and integrity. Our decisions rest solely on the work itself and Alfred Nobel’s original vision.”
The president’s chances were likely diminished by several controversial actions, including extrajudicial operations targeting alleged drug trafficking vessels from Venezuela, his decision to rebrand the Department of Defense as the Department of War, and the deployment of military personnel to American cities.
Trump has long criticized his predecessor Barack Obama for receiving the prize in 2009, repeatedly claiming Obama achieved nothing to merit the honor. Speaking Thursday, Trump reiterated this view: “They gave it to Obama for doing absolutely nothing but destroying our country.”
Republican Representative Claudia Tenney of New York had nominated Trump in December, citing his role in the Abraham Accords, which established diplomatic relations between Israel and multiple Arab nations in 2020. The nomination deadline of January 31 fell just eleven days into Trump’s second term.
While Trump deserves credit for facilitating the initial ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, significant uncertainties remain about the long-term peace plan, including Hamas’s disarmament and Gaza’s future governance. Additionally, the conflict between Russia and Ukraine—which Trump promised during his 2024 campaign to resolve within a day—has seen minimal progress.
Trump frequently claims to have ended seven wars, though analysts dispute both the characterization of some of these situations as actual wars and the extent of his role in resolving them.
Nobel Peace Prize experts note the committee traditionally emphasizes lasting peace, fostering international cooperation, and supporting institutions that advance these objectives. Other organizations considered for this year’s award included Sudan’s Emergency Response Rooms, which coordinates humanitarian aid during the country’s civil war; the International Court of Justice and International Criminal Court; and the Committee to Protect Journalists, an American organization advocating for press freedom.
Since its inception in 1901, the Nobel Peace Prize has been awarded to only three sitting U.S. presidents: Theodore Roosevelt (1906), Woodrow Wilson (1919), and Barack Obama (2009). Former President Jimmy Carter received the prize in 2002, twenty years after leaving office, while former Vice President Al Gore was honored in 2007.
Alfred Nobel specified in his will that the peace prize should recognize someone “who shall have done the most or the best work for fraternity between nations, for the abolition or reduction of standing armies and for the holding and promotion of peace congresses.”
The 2024 prize was awarded to Nihon Hidankyo, a Japanese organization of atomic bomb survivors dedicated to maintaining the global prohibition against nuclear weapons use.
Unlike the other Nobel prizes, which are awarded in Stockholm, the Peace Prize ceremony takes place in Oslo, Norway.
