María Corina Machado Named Recipient of Ivan Allen Jr. Prize for Social Courage

The Georgia Institute of Technology will award the 2025 Ivan Allen Jr. Prize for Social Courage to María Corina Machado, a prominent Venezuelan political leader, industrial engineer, and human rights advocate. The award recognizes individuals who, by standing up for moral principles at great personal risk, have made a significant impact on society. 

Machado has been a steadfast advocate for democracy and human rights in Venezuela, often at great personal risk. Her activism in support of democracy began in 2002 as the founder and leader of the vote-monitoring group Súmate. In 2010, she was elected a National Assembly representative for East Caracas. Machado was the Venezuelan opposition’s presidential candidate for the Unity Democratic Platform in 2023 but was later disqualified from holding office by the regime-controlled National Electoral Council. 

She is regarded as a leading figure of the Venezuelan opposition and has been prohibited from leaving the country by the Nicolás Maduro government. In August, she published a letter in The Wall Street Journal stating that she had gone into hiding for her personal safety. 

The Ivan Allen Jr. Prize for Social Courage honors her extraordinary contributions and her relentless pursuit of a better future for her country. 

“We are honored to present this award to María Corina Machado for her unwavering dedication to the principles of democracy and human rights, and her data-driven advocacy and activism for free and fair elections,” said Georgia Tech President Ángel Cabrera. “Her dedication exemplifies the spirit of the Ivan Allen Jr. Prize.” 

The prize was established in 2010 to honor the legacy of Ivan Allen Jr., former mayor of Atlanta and a Georgia Tech graduate, who was known for his courageous leadership during the Civil Rights Movement. It is awarded annually to individuals who demonstrate exceptional courage at considerable risk to their careers, and even their lives, on behalf of an important social issue. Previous recipients include John Lewis, Andrew Young, Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter, Dr. Anthony Fauci, and Christiane Amanpour. 

Thanks to a generous grant from the Wilbur and Hilda Glenn Foundation, the Allen Prize includes a monetary stipend of $100,000 to accompany the award. 

A ceremony and campus event honoring Machado will take place in the spring. Learn more at ivanallenprize.gatech.edu.