The committee responsible for awarding the Nobel Peace Prize determined that, “for her tireless work in promoting the democratic rights of the Venezuelan people. And for her struggle to achieve a just and peaceful transition from dictatorship to democracy.” María Corina Machado is this year’s recipient of the award.
- “This is an achievement for all of society; I am just one person and do not deserve it. It is the greatest recognition of our people. I am at a loss for words.
- One of the most famous phrases that brought her international recognition over a decade ago was “to expropriate is to steal,” which she used to interrupt a speech by Hugo Chávez.
Jørgen Watne Frydnes, president of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, praised the 58-year-old woman who sought to defeat Chavismo through the electoral process.
“She is a key and unifying figure in a political opposition that was once deeply divided, an opposition that found common ground in the demand for free elections and a representative government,” he stated.
María Corina Machado learned she had been named a Nobel Peace Prize laureate through a phone call she received in the early hours of this Friday, and with a trembling voice, she insisted she did not deserve the distinction.
“This is an achievement for all of society; I am just one person and do not deserve it. It is the greatest recognition of our people. I am at a loss for words.
I feel honored, overwhelmed, and deeply grateful on behalf of the people of Venezuela. I think it will take me much longer to believe what I just heard,” she said.
Before the 2005 Nobel Peace Prize winner was announced, speculation had arisen about the possibility of President Donald Trump being among the candidates due to his efforts to bring peace to the Middle East, but María Corina Machado’s work in Venezuela tipped the scales in her favor.
Last year, the Venezuelan industrial engineer and professor also won the Václav Havel Prize from the Council of Europe for denouncing human rights abuses in her country and defending democracy.
One of the most famous phrases that brought her international recognition over a decade ago was “to expropriate is to steal,” which she used to interrupt a speech by Hugo Chávez.
Moved by the realization that her peaceful struggle to defend democracy in her country is being supported by the attention of many international organizations, María Corina Machado predicts that the regime governing Venezuela is close to falling.
“It has been a long journey with a high cost for Venezuelan society. For many years, the world did not realize how hard, difficult, painful, and destructive this process has been. And the Venezuelan people persevered. I believe we are very close to finally achieving freedom for our country and peace for the region,” she emphasized.
Image: Opinion
