Image of María Corina Machado

María Corina Machado

Person

Venezuelan opposition leader, winner of the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize, and the primary winner of the 2023 presidential primary election. She was disqualified from running in the general election by the Maduro regime.


First Mentioned

10/29/2025, 3:58:52 AM

Last Updated

10/29/2025, 4:00:33 AM

Research Retrieved

10/29/2025, 4:00:33 AM

Summary

María Corina Machado Parisca, born October 7, 1967, is a prominent Venezuelan politician and activist, recognized as a leading figure in the opposition to the governments of Hugo Chávez and Nicolás Maduro. An industrial engineer with a master's in finance, she co-founded the vote-monitoring organization Súmate and served as a member of the National Assembly of Venezuela from 2011 to 2014, from which she was expelled after denouncing the regime at the Organization of American States. Machado was a presidential candidate in the 2012 opposition primary and played a significant role in organizing protests against the Maduro government in 2014. In 2023, she won the opposition primary for the 2024 presidential election but was subsequently barred from running by the Venezuelan government, leading her to back Edmundo González as a replacement candidate. Following the 2024 election, Machado stated she had gone into hiding due to fears for her safety under the Maduro regime, which she describes as a criminal structure involved in drug trafficking and human rights violations, supported by international allies like Russia and Iran. Her advocacy for democratic rights in Venezuela has earned her international recognition, including the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize, inclusion in BBC's 100 Women in 2018, and recognition among Time magazine's 100 most influential people in 2025. She also received the 2024 Václav Havel Human Rights Prize and the 2024 Sakharov Prize for her efforts in the fight for democracy, shared with Edmundo González. Machado has consistently criticized election fraud, warned against the rise of socialism, and praised former U.S. President Donald Trump for his decisive actions against the regime.

Referenced in 1 Document
Research Data
Extracted Attributes
  • Award

    Sakharov Prize (2024, shared)

  • Father

    Henrique Machado Zuloaga (steel industrialist)

  • Gender

    Female

  • Mother

    Corina Parisca Pérez (psychologist)

  • Education

    Industrial Engineering (Universidad Católica Andrés Bello), Master's in Finance (Institute of Advanced Studies in Administration), World Fellows Program (Yale University)

  • Full Name

    María Corina Machado Parisca

  • Occupation

    Politician, Activist, Industrial Engineer

  • Citizenship

    Venezuela

  • Date of Birth

    1967-10-07

  • Place of Birth

    Caracas, Venezuela

  • Political Party

    Vente Venezuela (National Coordinator)

Timeline
  • Born María Corina Machado Parisca in Caracas, Venezuela. (Source: Summary, Wikidata, Wikipedia, Web Search)

    1967-10-07

  • Co-founded the vote-monitoring organization Súmate. (Source: Summary, Wikipedia, Related Documents, Web Search)

    2002

  • Charged with conspiracy for funds Súmate received from the National Endowment for Democracy (NED). (Source: DBpedia)

    2004

  • Trial for conspiracy suspended due to due process violations. (Source: DBpedia)

    2006-02

  • Participated in the World Fellows Program at Yale University. (Source: Web Search)

    2009

  • Began serving as a member of the National Assembly of Venezuela. (Source: Summary, Wikipedia, DBpedia)

    2011

  • Ran as a candidate in the opposition presidential primary, losing to Henrique Capriles. (Source: Summary, Wikipedia, DBpedia)

    2012

  • Co-founded the political party Vente Venezuela. (Source: Web Search)

    2013

  • Played a leading role in organizing demonstrations against Nicolás Maduro's government. (Source: Summary, Wikipedia, DBpedia)

    2014

  • Expelled from the National Assembly after denouncing the regime at the Organization of American States (OAS). (Source: Related Documents)

    2014

  • Named one of BBC's 100 Women. (Source: Summary, Wikipedia, DBpedia, Web Search)

    2018

  • Won the opposition primary for the 2024 presidential election with over 92% of the votes. (Source: Summary, Wikipedia, Web Search)

    2023-10

  • Barred by the Venezuelan government from running in the 2024 presidential election. (Source: Summary, Wikipedia, Web Search)

    2024

  • Received the Václav Havel Human Rights Prize. (Source: Summary, Wikipedia, Web Search)

    2024

  • Received the Sakharov Prize, shared with Edmundo González. (Source: Summary, Wikipedia, Web Search)

    2024

  • Backed Edmundo González as a replacement candidate for the presidential election. (Source: Summary, Wikipedia, Related Documents, Web Search)

    2024-07-28

  • Announced she had gone into hiding shortly after the election, citing fears for her life and freedom under the Maduro government. (Source: Summary, Wikipedia)

    2024-07-28

  • Awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her tireless work promoting democratic rights in Venezuela. (Source: Summary, Related Documents, Wikipedia, Web Search)

    2025

  • Listed among Time magazine's 100 most influential people. (Source: Summary, Wikipedia)

    2025

María Corina Machado

María Corina Machado Parisca (born 7 October 1967) is a Venezuelan politician, activist, and prominent leader of the Venezuelan opposition to the governments of Hugo Chávez and Nicolás Maduro. She served as a member of the National Assembly of Venezuela from 2011 to 2014, and has run as a candidate in presidential elections while experiencing repression from the Maduro regime. An industrial engineer with a master's degree in finance, Machado began her political career as a founder of the vote-monitoring organization Súmate. She is the National Coordinator of the political party Vente Venezuela and ran in the 2012 opposition presidential primary, which she lost to Henrique Capriles. During the 2014 Venezuelan protests, she played a leading role in organizing demonstrations against Maduro's government. In 2023, Machado won the opposition primary to become the unity candidate for the 2024 presidential election. The Venezuelan government subsequently barred her from running in the election. She named Corina Yoris as a replacement candidate, who was later replaced by Edmundo González. The opposition presented vote tallies, claiming that González won the election in a landslide, while the government-run National Electoral Council claimed victory for Maduro without presenting evidence. Shortly after the 28 July election, Machado announced that she had gone into hiding, citing fears for her life and freedom under the Maduro government. In 2025, Machado was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize "for her tireless work promoting democratic rights for the people of Venezuela and for her struggle to achieve a just and peaceful transition from dictatorship to democracy". She was named one of BBC's 100 Women in 2018, and listed among Time magazine's 100 most influential people in 2025. In 2024, Machado received the Václav Havel Human Rights Prize and the Sakharov Prize (shared with González) for representing Venezuelans fighting for democracy.

Web Search Results
  • María Corina Machado - McCain Institute

    María Corina Machado is a Venezuelan politician, a presidential candidate, and leader of the democratic opposition after her landslide victory in the primary elections on October 2023, with more than 92 per cent of the votes. After being unlawfully barred from the presidential race, María Corina Machado endorsed Edmundo González Urrutia, who won the July 28, 2024 election with 70% of the vote. She spearheaded the collection of over 80% of tally sheets from electoral centers across the country, [...] Today, Maria Corina Machado is known for her unique voice in Venezuela’s traditionally male-dominated political landscape. Machado is one of the 100 most influential and inspiring leaders in the world, according to the BBC (2018). María Corina Machado was also recently awarded with the 2024 Sakharov Prize for the Freedom of Thought and the 2024 Václav Havel Human Rights Prize, honoring outstanding civil society action in defense of human rights. She is also an engineer and the mother of three [...] APPLY NOW: American Democracy & Technology Fellowship Our Impact Donate Newsletter Signup # María Corina Machado Leader of the Venezuelan Democratic Movement

  • Maria Corina Machado - Yale World Fellows

    María Corina Machado is National Coordinator of Vente Venezuela, the party of freedom and a liberal political organization born in 2013 and of which she is a founding member. She was the Member of the National Assembly of Venezuela elected with the highest number of votes of all the candidates for that electoral contest (2010-2015) and is one of the main opposition leaders in the country. Since 2017, she is a founding member, along with Antonio Ledezma and Diego Arria, and accompanied by an

  • María Corina Machado - Democratic Movement in Venezuela

    María Corina Machado is the leading figure of the Venezuelan democratic movement and was the central architect of the historic victory of Edmundo González in the July 28th, 2024, presidential election. Her leadership and vision unified Venezuela's pro-democracy forces during a pivotal moment in the country's history.Machado won the Venezuelan opposition primaries on October 22nd, 2023, with an overwhelming 92.35% of the vote. Despite her landslide victory, she was illegally disqualified from [...] and a specialization in Finance from the Instituto de Estudios Superiores de Administración (IESA). She has also taught Human Resources Management in the Industrial Engineering Department at UCAB. In 2009, she participated in the prestigious World Fellows Program at Yale University.She is also the founder and national coordinator of the political movement Vente Venezuela, co-founder of the Venezuelan civil association Súmate. [...] running by the regime in a blatant move to undermine the democratic process. Undeterred, she continues to lead the fight for freedom and democracy in Venezuela, inspiring millions to stand up against authoritarianism.Her tireless work in the face of adversity has made her a symbol of hope and resistance for Venezuelans and a crucial voice in the global conversation on democracy and human rights.Machado holds a degree in Industrial Engineering from the Universidad Católica Andrés Bello (UCAB)

  • María Corina Machado | Nobel Peace Prize Winner ... - Britannica

    María Corina Machado, a Venezuelan politician and pro-democracy activist, has emerged as one of her country’s most vocal advocates for political change as Venezuela has moved toward authoritarianism. Despite repeated attempts by the government to silence her, she has continued to press for free elections and institutional reform. Her struggle has taken on wider symbolic significance amid mounting global concern over the weakening of democratic norms. In October 2025 Machado was awarded the [...] Encyclopedia Britannica Encyclopedia Britannica María Corina Machado María Corina Machado # María Corina Machado Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. ### Who is María Corina Machado? María Corina Machado is a Venezuelan politician and pro-democracy activist known for advocating political change and democratic principles in Venezuela. ### What notable award did María Corina Machado receive in 2025? [...] Born on October 7, 1967, in Caracas, Venezuela, Machado is the daughter of Henrique Machado Zuloaga, a prominent steel industrialist, and Corina Parisca Pérez, a psychologist. Growing up she attended an elite Catholic girls’ school in Caracas and then later the Dana Hall boarding school in Wellesley, Massachusetts. Machado went on to receive a degree in industrial engineering from Andrés Bello Catholic University and later completed a postgraduate specialization in finance at the Institute of

  • Who is Maria Corina Machado, 2025 winner of the Nobel Peace ...

    “We’re shocked with joy,” said Gonzalez. Here’s what we know about Maria Corina Machado: ## Who is Maria Corina Machado? Maria Corina Machado Parisca, 58, is the leader of the Venezuelan opposition party, Vente Venezuela. Machado campaigns for transparent democracy, advocates for liberal economic reforms, including the privatisation of state-owned enterprises such as PDVSA, Venezuela’s oil company. She also supports the creation of welfare programmes aimed at aiding the country’s poorest. [...] Maria Corina Machado, the Venezuelan opposition politician who was barred from standing in last year’s presidential election, has been awarded this year’s Nobel Peace Prize. In a post on the social media platform X on Friday, the Nobel Committee said it had decided to award the prize to Machado “for her tireless work promoting democratic rights for the people of Venezuela and for her struggle to achieve a just and peaceful transition from dictatorship to democracy”. ## Recommended Stories [...] Born on October 7, 1967, in Caracas, the eldest of four daughters, she has a degree in industrial engineering and a Master’s degree in finance. The mother of three entered politics in 2002 as cofounder of the volunteer civil association called Sumate, which seeks to unite people amid polarisation under Nicolas Maduro’s rule.

María Corina Machado Parisca (born 7 October 1967, sometimes referred to as MCM) is a Venezuelan politician who served as an elected member of the National Assembly of Venezuela from 2011 to 2014. She was a candidate for Venezuelan president in the 2012 elections and has indicated that she would run again in 2019 if disputed interim President Juan Guaidó were to call for elections. During the 2014 Venezuelan protests, Machado was one of the lead figures in organizing protests against the government of Nicolás Maduro. Machado was the founder and former leader of the Venezuelan volunteer civil organization Súmate, alongside Alejandro Plaz. She was charged (together with other Súmate representatives) with conspiracy for funds Súmate received from the National Endowment for Democracy (NED), triggering condemnation of the administration of Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez from human rights groups supported by NED. The trial was suspended in February 2006 because of due process violations by the trial judge, and has been postponed several times according to Human Rights Watch. In 2018, she was listed as one of BBC's 100 Women.

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