Maria Corina Machado has been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2025, often called “Venezuelas Iron Lady” for her fearless struggle for democratic rights. She was also recently presented in Time Magazine’s list of the 100 most influential people in 2025.The Nobel Committee said that it chose Machado in recognition of her “tireless work” to defend democracy and her efforts to lead Venezuela towards a peaceful and fair transition from dictatorship to democracy.They described her as a “brave and committed master of peace” who “keeps the low of democracy under 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 his country. Maria founded the Atea Foundation in 1992, focused on improving the life of street children in Caracas. In 2002, she founded Súmate, an organization that promotes free and fair elections and election monitoring, which contributed greatly to democratic processes in Venezuela. She was elected to the Venezuelan National Assembly in 2010 with a record number of votes but was banished by the 2014 regime. Since then, she has led the opposition Vente Venezuela party and founded the Soy Venezuela alliance and united various pro-democratic forces in the country.
Maria Corina Machado’s education and early career
When it comes to María Corina Machado’s family and personal lives, detailed public information is limited, as her public focus has mainly been on her political and social activism. But she is known for coming from a well -trained background in industrial technology from Universidad Católica Andrés Bello and a financial specialization from IESA and initially worked in business before devoting himself 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 because of the political turmoil and threats about Machado’s activism. Machado’s children also live abroad for safety reasons.According to an interview published in Elle Magazine, Machado has been hidden for over 14 months due to threats from the Venezuelan government under the direction of Nicolás Maduro. As she stays in Venezuela, her husband fled from the country to ensure his security. Her three children also left, with the exception of her oldest daughter, Ana Corina, who chose to stop by Machado’s side as her support during this dangerous time. Machado’s children are Henrique (the youngest), Ricardo (middle) and Ana Corina (oldest).In an interview with Elle, Machado recalled a crucial moment over 13 years ago when she realized the difficulty of balanceing motherhood with her political activism. After condemning corruption openly in the National Assembly, she became worried about her daughter’s safety and told her at that time: “You have to go.”
Controversy about her presidential candidacy
In 2023, she announced her candidacy for the presidential election in 2024 but was blocked from running. Instead, she supported opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia, as the opposition claims was the real winner despite the regime explaining something else.Machado’s Nobel Prize honors its commitment to democracy at a time when democratic rights are threatened globally. Her efforts are seen as crucial to preserving freedoms, voting rights and representation, which are fundamental to peace both within and between nations.
