HAMILTON, Canada

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Friday hailed Maria Corina Machado for being awarded the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize.

"I congratulate Maria Corina Machado on being awarded the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize," said Guterres in a statement, adding that "for decades, Ms. Machado has been a champion of democracy and a voice of unity in her country of Venezuela."

Citing the statement by the Nobel Committee, Guterres noted that "the tools of democracy are the tools of peace."

"At a time when democracy and the rule of law are under threat globally, today's prize is a tribute to all those working to safeguard civil and political rights around the world, and a stirring reminder of the resilience and power of the democratic spirit," he added.

The Norwegian Nobel Committee announced Machado as the winner on Friday, despite US President Donald Trump publicly lobbying for himself as a worthy recipient recently.

Last year's Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to the Nihon Hidankyo group, a grassroots movement of Japanese atomic bombing survivors.

Between 1901 and 2024, the Nobel Peace Prize has been awarded 105 times to 142 laureates, including 111 individuals and 31 organizations.

A total of 28 individual organizations have received the Nobel Peace Prize, with the International Committee of the Red Cross getting the nod three times and the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) twice.

The Nobel Prizes, established in accordance with the will of Swedish inventor Alfred Nobel and first awarded in 1901, are seen as some of the world’s most prestigious honors.