Machado, 58, an industrial engineer, has lived in hiding after Venezuela’s courts barred her last year from running for president against Nicolás Maduro, who has ruled the country since 2013, the Reuters news agency reported.
“When authoritarians seize power, it is crucial to recognize courageous defenders of freedom who rise and resist,” the Nobel committee said in its citation.
She is the first Venezuelan to receive the Peace Prize and the sixth laureate from Latin America, according to Reuters.
The award, worth 11 million Swedish kronor, or about USD 1.2 million, will be presented in Oslo on December 10.
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Source: Reuters, IAR, PAP