Chief Adviser of Bangladesh Professor Muhammad Yunus has congratulated Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado on winning the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize, praising her for her “courageous fight for democracy” and unwavering dedication to justice and freedom in Venezuela.

In a message on Friday night, Prof Yunus said, “I extend my hearty congratulations to María Corina Machado on receiving the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize for her courageous fight for democracy in her beloved Venezuela.”

He lauded Machado’s steadfast resolve in the face of oppression, saying she “never wavered in her commitment to a freer and more just future for her country and her people.”

Quoting the Nobel Committee’s remarks, Yunus highlighted, “Democracy depends on people who refuse to stay silent, who dare to step forward despite grave risk, and who remind us that freedom must never be taken for granted, but must always be defended — with words, with courage, and with determination.”

She has dared to imagine a better world and worked tirelessly to make it so,” he added.

Earlier on Friday, the Norwegian Nobel Committee awarded María Corina Machado the Nobel Peace Prize for her pivotal role in uniting Venezuela’s fragmented opposition and championing free and fair elections despite facing persecution and threats from President Nicolás Maduro’s government.

Machado, a former opposition presidential candidate, has remained in hiding but continues to inspire millions of Venezuelans through her steadfast resistance against authoritarian rule.