Nobel Peace Prize awarded to María Corina Machado from Venezuela

Venezuela’s opposition leader María Corina Machado was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize today for her efforts to defend democracy and freedom in the country. Civil Rights Defenders has supported human rights defenders in Latin America for years, in countries where activists and dissenting voices face stark repression.

“This recognition also belongs to the many human rights organisations, activists, and electoral observers who risk their freedom and their lives to stand up to state oppression,” says Maria Pia Alvira, Director of the Latin America Department.

In recent years, Machado has been a vocal defender of democracy in Venezuela. Since last year’s elections in the country, state repression and the persecution of activists, election observers and dissidents has increased dramatically. Machado has emerged as a unifying figure for the opposition, offering an alternative to voters unwilling to support the country’s current president, Nicolás Maduro.

Peaceful campaign for change

Machado helped make sure ordinary Venezuelans were able to express their desire for democratic change. Ahead of the 2024 elections, she set up a process with independent election observers to prevent the government from tampering with the election results. These observers drew on the official records from more than 25,000 polling stations to prove opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez won the election, with 67 per cent of ballots cast in his favour.

“The Nobel Peace Prize recognises Machado’s enduring struggle for democracy in Venezuela. During the election, she became a symbol of hope for millions seeking an end to state repression and authoritarian rule. The award also offers a measure of international protection, raising the cost of any attempt to silence or harm her,” says Alvira.

A beacon of hope for the wider region

The Nobel Committee’s decision highlights the difficulties that democracy activists are facing not just in Venezuela, but also in Nicaragua, El Salvador and Cuba. The situation in these countries has deteriorated rapidly these past couple of years.

“This recognition also belongs to the many human rights organisations, activists, and electoral observers who—without the same media attention or international backing—risk their lives to stand up to state oppression. Their courageous work deserves our deepest respect, admiration, and support,” Alvira comments.

Authoritarian governments in the region are brutally repressing those who stand up for human rights, peace, and democracy. Activists and opposition voices are subjected to threats, violence and lengthy prison terms, or forced to go into exile. There are over 800 political prisoners in Venezuela. In this context, it is easy to become discouraged. This year’s Nobel Peace Prize will hopefully be a ray of light piercing through the darkness.

Civil Rights Defenders and Venezuela

Civil Rights Defenders has been accompanying human rights organisations in Venezuela for over a decade, to strengthen their capacities, the security of their work, and the political impact of their work.  In 2023, the Civil Rights Defender of the Year Award went to the Venezuelan legal organisation Foro Penal. That same year, we published the book Frontera Común, with stories of human rights defenders risking their lives on the border between Colombia and Venezuela.

For many years, we have also worked to have Venezuelan human rights activists’ voices heard in Brussels, lobbying to strengthen EU support for democratic change in Latin America.