OSLO/CARACAS, Friday, October 10, 2025 (WNP): The Norwegian Nobel Institute on Friday released the emotional moment when Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado learned that she had been awarded the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize — a recognition of her unwavering struggle for democracy and human rights in Venezuela.

In a phone call moments before the public announcement, Kristian Berg Harpviken, Director of the Norwegian Nobel Institute, personally informed Machado of the decision. Overcome with emotion, she responded softly, “Oh my god… I have no words.”

The short exchange captured a powerful moment of relief and gratitude for a woman who has become a symbol of peaceful resistance in Latin America.

The Nobel Committee praised Machado for her “resolute leadership and civic courage in championing peaceful democratic change in Venezuela amid systematic repression.”

The news sparked widespread reactions across Venezuela, where supporters celebrated the honor as an international acknowledgment of the country’s decades-long democratic struggle.

In her later statement, Machado dedicated the prize to the “people of Venezuela, who have fought for their freedom with admirable courage, dignity, intelligence, and love.”