The UN has praised the Nobel Peace Prize committee’s decision to honor Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado, calling her values a reflection of the country’s democratic aspirations.

On October 10, 2025, the UN human rights office (OHCHR) congratulated María Corina Machado for receiving the Nobel Peace Prize, recognizing her decades-long advocacy for free and fair elections, civil liberties, and the rule of law in Venezuela.

OHCHR spokesperson Thameen Al-Kheetan stated, “This recognition reflects the clear aspirations of the people of Venezuela for free and fair elections, for civil and political rights and for the rule of law.” The High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, has consistently supported these values, despite being declared persona non grata by Venezuela’s National Assembly earlier this year.

Machado, 58, was barred from running in the 2024 presidential elections and currently lives in hiding. She was briefly detained in January 2025 after attending an opposition rally, reportedly released following international pressure. In her acceptance remarks, she said, “I am just one person. I certainly do not deserve this. It is the achievement of a whole society.”

The UN has documented serious restrictions on civic freedoms in Venezuela, including incommunicado detentions of opposition figures—acts that may amount to enforced disappearances under international law. OHCHR reiterated its commitment to defending the rights of all Venezuelans, both within the country and abroad.