Marco Rubio’s letter backing Maria Corina Machado resurfaces after her Nobel win

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio’s role in nominating Venezuelan opposition leader Mara Corina Machado for the Nobel Peace Prize has drawn attention again after she was announced as this year’s laureate. Rubio had co-signed a letter in 2024 urging the Norwegian Nobel Committee to recognise Machado’s “courageous and selfless leadership” in her fight for democracy against President Nicols Maduro’s regime.

The letter — signed by Rubio, then a senator, along with fellow Republican lawmakers Mike Waltz, Rick Scott, Mario Daz-Balart, Mara Elvira Salazar, Neal Dunn, Byron Donalds, and Carlos Gimenez — praised Machado for “risking everything to rally the previously flagging spirits of the Venezuelan people.”

“She has remained steadfast in her commitment to restoring democratic governance in Venezuela,” the lawmakers wrote, citing her “peaceful resistance to tyrants” and her efforts to mobilise global support for a democratic transition. The letter, dated August 26, 2024, called her a “beacon of hope and resilience” who embodies the very principles the Nobel Peace Prize seeks to honour.

On Friday, the Norwegian Nobel Committee awarded Machado the 2025 Peace Prize, describing her as a “courageous defender of freedom who rises and resists authoritarian leadership.” The recognition sparked mixed reactions in Washington, where the White House criticised the committee for overlooking President Donald Trump, who had publicly lobbied for the prize and touted his role in brokering a Gaza ceasefire and hostage deal earlier this week.

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