Venezuelan opposition politician María Corina Machado has won the Nobel peace prize.
The committee commended Machado as a “brave and committed champion of peace” who “keeps the flame of democracy burning during a growing darkness”.
Jørgen Watne Frydnes, the leader of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, made the announcement at the Norwegian Nobel Institute in Oslo.
This year’s award committee has been under particular scrutiny after an intense public and private campaign by Donald Trump. The US president has been openly envious that four of his predecessors, including Barack Obama, received the award.
Trump’s outbursts have caused concern in Norway about the risk of retaliation if the 79-year-old did not get what is often considered the world’s most prestigious award.
Last year, the Japanese atomic bomb survivor movement Nihon Hidankyo was awarded the prize. This year, the committee had a total of 338 candidates to choose from, including 244 individuals and 94 organisations.
Other past winners include campaigners and organisations including Nelson Mandela, the late Chinese rights activist Liu Xiaobo, the EU and the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons.
More details soon …