Video shows moment Nobel Peace Prize laureate Maria Corina Machado learns about honor: ‘I’m just one person’

Leader of the Venezuelan opposition Maria Corina Machado He said that receiving the Nobel Peace Prize is “an achievement for an entire society.”

Video shared on Social media Kristian Berge Harpviken, director of the Norwegian Nobel Institute, is shown calling Machado on Friday morning to inform her that she has been selected for the prestigious award. He looks visibly emotional while sharing the news during a phone call with Machado before announcing it to the world.

Machado can be heard saying during the call: “Oh my God. I have no words. Thank you so much.” “I hope you understand that this is a movement, and this is an achievement for an entire community. I’m just one person, and I certainly don’t deserve this. Oh my God.”

In the video, Harpviken tells Machado that she was chosen “for her tireless work in promoting the democratic rights of the people of Venezuela and for her struggle to achieve a just and peaceful transition from dictatorship to democracy.”

An emotional Machado can be heard saying she feels honored, humbled and grateful “on behalf of the Venezuelan people” to receive the award.

“We haven’t reached that point yet,” she said, referring to bringing democracy to Venezuela. “We are working hard to achieve this but I am sure we will prevail. This is definitely the biggest tribute to our people who definitely deserve it. So, thank you very much!”

She added that it would take a long time to believe what she had just heard.

Later Statement on X“This recognition of the struggle of all Venezuelans is a push to finish our mission: to conquer freedom,” Machado said.

She added, “We are on the cusp of victory, and today, more than ever, we depend on President Trump, the people of the United States, the peoples of Latin America, and the democratic countries of the world as our main allies to achieve freedom and democracy.” “I dedicate this award to the suffering people of Venezuela and to President Trump for his decisive support of our cause!”

Venezuela, which has been under an authoritarian regime for decades, is led by current President Nicolas Maduro. His election in 2024 was widely dismissed as undemocratic and his leadership was not recognized by the United States and many other countries.

The Trump administration is stuck in Tense confrontation Maduro accused the Venezuelan president of working with drug trafficking gangs that smuggle drugs into the United States, and Maduro denied these accusations.

The United States recognized the opposition politician supported by Machado, Senator Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia, as the legitimate winner of the 2024 elections.

Meanwhile, Machado has been hiding in Venezuela since the 2024 elections. Rumors have been circulating on social media for weeks that she may be sheltering in the US embassy in the capital, Caracas.

Machado supported US military pressure on the Maduro regime as a “necessary measure” toward “restoring popular sovereignty in Venezuela.”