The Nobel Peace Prize was awarded Friday to Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado who lives in hiding after attempting to run against President Nicolás Maduro.
Machado, 58, was recognized for keeping “the flame of democracy burning amidst a growing darkness” and “ever-expanding authoritarianism in Venezuela.”
Despite speculation that President Donald Trump might win the prize for his role helping broker a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, among other things, Machado emerged as a late favorite in online betting platforms hours before the decision came.
As leader of the Vente Venezuela opposition party, Machado is currently in hiding and faces “serious threats against her life” having been blocked from running for president and expelled from office, Jørgen Watne Frydnes, chair of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, told a news conference in Oslo.
“Oh, my God! I have no words,” she kept repeating when given the news over the telephone by Kristian Berg Harpviken, director of the Norwegian Nobel Institute, who could be seen in a video of the call becoming visibly emotional as he spoke.
