Maria Corina Machado won the Nobel, specifically the Peace award, for her continuous work of fighting for the democratic rights for the people of Venezuela and for her journey of achieving a peaceful resistance to the Venezuelan dictatorship.
Ms. Machado is an opposition leader who has been fighting for Venezuela for over two decades.
”I think she deserved that prize after all that she has done for her country,” said junior Isabella Iamunno.
Ms. Machado created an organization called “join in,” translated from the Spanish word “sumate,” created to conduct vote-monitoring and election-monitoring. Its purpose was to defend the electoral rights of the Venezuelan people.
She developed this movement because the government was controlling many factors elections in order to favor Hugo Chávez, the previous president of Venezuela, who was known to be an authoritarian leader.
“She is a heroic woman. she has a lot if courage. she has storng democratic beliefs which given hope to the people of Venezuela that have been in despair struggling with dictatorship,” said main office receptionist Mrs. Marielena Douaihi, who is also like many on the ILS campus, originally from Venezuela.
Ms. Machado was the most voted opposition representative for Venezuela who in 2010 ran for the National Assembly and won.
However, four years later the regime expelled her from the office.
She famously confronted dictator Chávez during a congressional speech by saying, “to expropriate is to steal” because he was known to take property from private individuals such as land, buildings, and even companies under the excuse that the government would turn these into more useful properties.
”She has a lot of strength to be doing all of that while in hiding,” said junior Teresa Kurishingal.
Because Ms. Machado is seen as a threat, she must conceal her location. In addition, her children no longer live in Venezuela for their own safety.
Even though Chavez said the appropriation would be for beneficial ends, ultimately, those lands were either under used, misused, or abandoned.
Ms. Machado attempted to run in the primary as president but lost two times. On her second attempt of running, she was unjustly banned from participation as a candidate for the presidential election and in spite, the opposition’s alternative candidate, Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia won 90% of the vote.
She provided evidence of the victory, but then went into hiding because the government wanted to arrest her.
When Ms. Machado won the Nobel Peace Prize, she said it was for the Venezuelan people, not her. Even in undisclosed locations, she continues to lead the people today in a peaceful resistance against the Venezuelan dictatorship.
