Nobel Peace Prize winner María Corina Machado has told the BBC she is grateful for what US President Donald Trump is doing around the world for peace.
Machado, Venezuela's opposition leader, was awarded the 2025 prize having long campaigned against the country's President Nicolás Maduro Moros, whose 12-year rule is viewed by many as illegitimate.
She told BBC Mundo that during a congratulatory phone call with Trump she conveyed her gratitude on behalf of the Venezuelan people for his global efforts towards peace, freedom, and democracy.
While Trump has publicly aspired to win the Nobel Prize himself, often citing conflicts he claims to have resolved, Machado welcomed the support he has extended to her cause.
She expressed that her award is a motivating factor for her political movement, infusing hope among Venezuelans that they are not alone in their struggle for freedom.
Describing the Maduro regime as a criminal structure, she urged the international community to halt the financial flows that empower the government, linking these activities to violence and repression.
In her view, dismantling these criminal networks is key to undermining Maduro’s power and achieving a transition back to democracy, a sentiment echoed by the Nobel Committee, which hailed her as a notable figure of civilian courage in Latin America.
Despite being barred from participating in elections deemed neither free nor fair, Machado continues to rally support from the opposition and remain an influential voice against the Maduro administration.
As international tensions rise following recent US military operations against alleged drug trafficking near Venezuelan shores, Machado's calls for peace and democratic governance resonate strongly, urging concerted actions against regime corruption and oppression.
