OPPOSITION & EXILE Profile updated May 2026

María Corina Machado

Leader of the Vente Venezuela opposition party

Born: 1967-10-07, Caracas, Venezuela Nationality: Venezuelan Affiliations: Vente Venezuela, Plataforma Unitaria Cohorts: Opposition & exile

At a glance

María Corina Machado is the leader of Vente Venezuela and the principal figure in the Venezuelan democratic opposition — winner of the 2023 opposition primary and the 2024 Nobel Peace Prize.

Who is María Corina Machado?

María Corina Machado Parisca is a Venezuelan industrial engineer and politician who founded Vente Venezuela and Súmate. She won the 2023 opposition primary with more than 90 percent of the vote but was barred by the TSJ-controlled Comptroller from running in the July 2024 presidential election.

Machado backed Edmundo González as the opposition's unity candidate in 2024, and the opposition coalition has since maintained that González won the election. She was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2024 for her leadership of Venezuela's democratic movement.

Also known as: María Corina Machado Parisca.

Career timeline

  • 2002 — Co-founded the civic election-monitoring NGO Súmate
  • 2013 — Founded Vente Venezuela
  • 2023 — Won the opposition primary with over 90% of the vote
  • 2024 — Awarded the Nobel Peace Prize

Network & connections

The following figures are part of María Corina Machado's direct political, cabinet, or institutional network — useful for compliance teams mapping the wider Venezuelan power structure:

Frequently asked questions

Who is María Corina Machado?
María Corina Machado is the leader of the Venezuelan opposition party Vente Venezuela. She won the 2023 opposition primary, was barred from the 2024 presidential ballot, backed Edmundo González as the unity candidate, and was awarded the 2024 Nobel Peace Prize for her leadership of Venezuela's democratic movement.
Did María Corina Machado win the Nobel Peace Prize?
Yes. The Norwegian Nobel Committee awarded the 2024 Nobel Peace Prize to María Corina Machado for her leadership of Venezuela's pro-democracy opposition.

Sources & further reading

Useful tools and explainers

Other opposition & exile

4 more in this cohort

Opposition leaders, exile figures, and pro-democracy organisers.