Wasserman Schultz praises Venezuela’s Machado over Nobel Peace Prize

Maria Corina Machado Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado addresses supporters at a protest against President Nicolas Maduro in Caracas, Venezuela, Jan. 9, 2025, the day before his inauguration for a third term. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos, File)

WASHINGTON — U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz praised Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado after she won the Nobel Peace Prize on Friday.

Wasserman Schultz, a Democrat, released a statement saying Machado shines a guiding light for all who challenge threats to democracy as authoritarianism rises.

“For years, she has fearlessly confronted the murderous Maduro regime and given voice to the Venezuelan people’s demands for the restoration of the rule of law, a free press, and fair and transparent elections,” Wasserman Schultz wrote.

Machado, 58, has been in hiding since January in Venezuela. She disputed President Nicolás Maduro’s reelection last year and declared that the opposition’s data showed voters had elected Edmundo González, the candidate she campaigned for.

“No one is more deserving,” Wasserman Schultz wrote.

After her last public peaceful demonstration, Machado was last seen riding in the back of a motorcycle in Caracas. Maduro’s loyalists issued a warrant for González’s arrest, so he traveled out of Venezuela and found refuge in Spain.

“In the past year, Ms. Machado has been forced to live in hiding. Despite serious threats against her life, she has remained in the country, a choice that has inspired millions, Jørgen Watne Frydnes, chair of the Norwegian Nobel committee, said during the announcement.

Maduro’s loyalists disqualified Machado from running against him last year and declared him a winner. Human rights activists reported there were protests, and political activists were imprisoned and killed.

“Her dedication to peace in the midst of Maduro’s brutality is an inspiration to Venezuelans and all who fight these same threats, even here in America,” Wasserman Schultz wrote.

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About The Author
Andrea Torres

Andrea Torres

The Emmy Award-winning journalist joined the Local 10 News team in 2013. She wrote for the Miami Herald for more than 9 years and won a Green Eyeshade Award.