Venezuela’s Nobel Peace Prize Winner Praises Donald Trump, Calls Him “Courageous”

Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado, who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize on Friday, said her country’s fight for democracy is reaching a decisive moment — and that she is counting on President Donald Trump and the United States “more than ever,” as The New York Post reported.

“This immense recognition of the struggle of all Venezuelans is an impetus to conclude our task: to conquer Freedom,” Machado said in a statement to The New York Post after the Norwegian Nobel Committee announced her award.

“We are on the threshold of victory and today more than ever we count on President Trump, the people of the United States, the peoples of Latin America, and the democratic nations of the world as our main allies to achieve Freedom and democracy.”

This recognition of the struggle of all Venezuelans is a boost to conclude our task: to conquer Freedom.

We are on the threshold of victory and today, more than ever, we count on President Trump, the people of the United States, the peoples of Latin America, and the democratic…

— María Corina Machado (@MariaCorinaYA) October 10, 2025

Machado, 56, has been in hiding for more than 14 months after refusing to concede defeat to Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in a disputed election that international observers and opposition groups widely condemned as fraudulent.

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Dubbed Venezuela’s “Iron Lady,” Machado has continued to organize resistance against the Maduro regime from within the country, focusing on press freedom, political reform, and exposure of human rights violations.

She has remained in Venezuela despite ongoing threats to her safety and the arrests of several opposition figures.

In a recent interview with The Times of London, Machado voiced strong support for Trump’s military and diplomatic strategy in Latin America, particularly the president’s decision to increase U.S. naval operations in the Caribbean to target drug cartels linked to the Maduro government.

“I totally support [Trump’s] strategy. And I’ve said on behalf of the Venezuelan people that we are very grateful,” Machado said. “I think it is the right thing to do. It’s courageous. It’s visionary.”

Trump’s administration has intensified maritime operations in the region, conducting four strikes against cartel-linked vessels since declaring an “armed conflict” with narcotics traffickers operating in waters off Venezuela.

The Venezuelan government condemned the U.S. actions, requesting an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council on Thursday. In a statement, officials accused Trump of attempting to use military pressure to remove Maduro from power.

The Nobel Committee praised Machado for her “extraordinary courage in leading a peaceful movement for democratic reform,” citing her ongoing efforts despite imprisonment and persecution of opposition members.

Machado’s recognition marks a significant moment for Venezuela’s opposition, which has struggled for years to challenge Maduro’s rule amid widespread economic collapse, mass emigration, and accusations of election rigging.

The Nobel Peace Prize Committee awarded it to a Venezuelan peace activist today, and you know what she did?

Dedicated it to President Trump

She knows freedom for the Venezuelan people from narcoterrorism will be due to the efforts of the Trump administration pic.twitter.com/qw0DcV9cHi

— DC_Draino (@DC_Draino) October 10, 2025

As international attention returns to the crisis, Machado said the Nobel Peace Prize should serve as a reminder of Venezuela’s determination to restore democratic governance. “This award belongs to every Venezuelan who has risked everything for freedom,” she said.

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