Who is Maria Corina Machado? Nobel Peace Prize winner who beat Trump is Venezuelan opposition leader in hiding

Maria Corina Machado, who became a symbol of resistance in the face of growing authoritarianism in Venezuela, has been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize.

The opposition leader was forced into hiding and banned from running for office by the administration of President Nicolas Maduro. But her fearless campaigns and rock-star appeal have made her an incredibly popular politician in her country – and led her to beat US President Donald Trump in winning this year’s honour.

When her win was announced on Friday, the activist was lauded for being a “key, unifying figure in a political opposition that was once deeply divided – an opposition that found common ground in the demand for free elections and representative government”.

Jorgen Watne Frydnes, Chair of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, added: “In the past year, Miss Machado has been forced to live in hiding. 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 recognise courageous defenders of freedom who rise and resist.”

Machado’s ally, Edmundo Gonzalez, who lives in exile in Spain, posted a video of himself speaking by phone with her after she received the news. “I am in shock,” Machado said. “I cannot believe it.”

What is Machado’s background

Machado, who turned 58 this week, was born in Caracas on 7 October 1967.

Her father was a prominent businessman in Venezuela’s steel industry, with her upper-class roots making her a target of criticism from the country’s governing socialist party.

Now a mother of three children, Machado is an industrial engineer by training, studying engineering at university before she gained a master’s degree in finance, and went on to have a short career in business.

In 1992, she also started a foundation for orphaned children living on the streets of Caracas, the Atenea Foundation.

But she went on to co-found the vote-monitoring organisation Súmate in 2002, which aims to promote free and fair elections, marking her official entry into politics.

What is Machado’s political career

In 2010, Machado was elected to the National Assembly, winning a record number of votes – before the regime expelled her from office in 2014.

She currently leads the liberal political party Vente Venezuela.

Machado won a resounding victory in the opposition’s primary election in 2023 and her rallies attracted large crowds, but a ban from holding public office prevented her from running for president against Nicolas Maduro in an election in 2024 and she went into hiding.

The country’s electoral authority and top court say Maduro, whose time in office has been marked by a deep economic and social crisis, won the election though they have never published detailed tallies.

Machado emerged from hiding to make a brief appearance during a protest before Maduro’s inauguration in January. She was briefly arrested and then freed.