A life in context
The person behind the prize
Machado studied engineering and finance before entering civic and political work. She helped establish the election-monitoring organisation Súmate and was elected to Venezuela’s National Assembly in 2010. When barred from standing in the 2024 presidential election, she supported the opposition’s alternative candidate.
The contribution
The Norwegian Nobel Committee recognised her work to unite a divided opposition around democratic rights and a peaceful political transition. Election monitoring and the collection of voting records were important parts of that effort.
The idea in plain language
Democratic rights include the ability to organise, speak freely, vote and have the result respected. The Norwegian Nobel Committee honoured Machado’s work toward these rights and a peaceful political transition in Venezuela.
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