Honoring María Corina Machado, Intercorp Peru's Rodríguez-Pastor, and Nubank's Vélez

“María Corina Machado reminds us that even in the face of tyranny, the moral courage of one person can rally a nation and stir the conscience of the world. Her life’s work is not just about restoring democracy in Venezuela—it is about defending democracy itself, in an age when authoritarianism is on the rise, and democratic values are being tested," said AS/COA's Chairman and AES President Andrés Gluski.

“It is an immense honor to receive the Americas Society Gold Medal on its 60th anniversary," said Machado, who received the award remotely. "I accept it on behalf of the millions of Venezuelans fighting for freedom, who will build a secure, prosperous, and democratic nation. To share this distinction with such remarkable honorees is truly special for me."

Machado's daughter, Ana Corina Sosa, accepted the award on her behalf. "Tonight, we celebrate leaders driven by purpose — those who open doors to education, opportunity, financial independence, and the promise of freedom. Above all, leaders who believe deeply in the potential of their countries and their people. Thank you for this opportunity to honor my mother’s courage and her fight," said Sosa.

Rodríguez-Pastor was honored for his visionary leadership and dedication to social progress and education, harnessing his business expertise to address some of the most critical issues in Latin America.

"This Gold Medal is not just a recognition of our team's hard work and dedication but also a testament to the power of business to drive positive change," said Rodriguez-Pastor. "I am honored to be part of an organization that believes in the potential of business to create value not just for shareholders, but for everyone: team members, customers, communities, and future generations. This award is a reminder that we all have the power to make a meaningful impact. I challenge everyone in the private sector to join us in building a legacy that maximizes potential and solves the social problems of our region."

Vélez received the Gold Medal for his remarkable commitment to improving lives across Latin America, democratizing financial services and bringing banking access to millions.

"Receiving the Americas Society award is a true honor, a testament to what the incredible Nubank team has built," said Vélez. "Over the past 12 years, we have been able to offer some of the best-rated financial services to over 118 million customers in Brazil, Mexico, and Colombia, while increasing access and decreasing costs to consumers. We believe, though, that we are still in the first minute of the first half of significant transformation of financial services globally, and we are very excited about our leading role in this significant trend."

Previous recipients of the Gold Medal, first presented in 1977, include: David Rockefeller, Miguel Alemán Velasco, César Alierta, Luis Almagro, Pilar Arosemena de Alemán, Albert Bourla, Alejandro P. Bulgheroni, Fernando Henrique Cardoso, Gustavo A. Cisneros, Marcelo Claure, Carlos Cruz-Diez, Oscar de la Renta, Antonio del Valle, Gina Diez Barroso, Jamie Dimon, Eduardo Eurnekian, Laurence D. Fink, Carlos Fuentes, Bruce Flatt, Enrique Iglesias, Muhtar Kent, Andrónico Luksic, Thomas F. McLarty, III, Manuel Medina Mora, Luis Alberto Moreno, Stanley A. Motta, Peter Munk, Patricia Phelps de Cisneros, Brian J. Porter, William R. Rhodes, Luis Carlos Sarmiento Angulo, Roberto Egydio Setubal, Mario Vargas Llosa, Lorenzo H. Zambrano, and Ernesto Zedillo. 

About the honorees:

María Corina Machado is the leader of Venezuela’s democratic opposition and a former member of the National Assembly. She has long advocated for democratic reform, transparency, and accountability, denouncing the regime’s institutional abuses, repression, corruption, economic collapse, and ongoing humanitarian crisis. In 2023, Machado won the opposition’s primary with over 90 percent of the vote to run in the 2024 presidential election. After being arbitrarily disqualified by the Maduro regime, Edmundo González became the opposition candidate. Following the election, Machado coordinated over 600,000 volunteers to digitize more than 83 percent of vote tallies, demonstrating González’s 37-point victory. Amid escalating protests and political repression, Machado went into hiding after being briefly detained, fearing for her safety. She was included as one of Time's 100 Most Influential People of 2025. She holds a degree in industrial engineering from Universidad Católica Andrés Bello and a specialization in finance from the Instituto de Estudios Superiores de la Administración.

Carlos Rodríguez-Pastor is the founder and Chairman of Intercorp and founder and managing partner of Nexus Group. Intercorp and Nexus Group invest primarily in Peru and the Andean Region and manage portfolio companies in financial services, retail, real estate, education, healthcare, entertainment and hospitality, and packaging. He is also co-chairman of The Chairman’s International Advisory Council of AS/COA, member of The Global Advisory Council at Harvard University, member of the Global Board of Advisors of the Council on Foreign Relations, member of the Advisory Board of Vista Equity Partners, and member of the Board of Trustees at The New York Public Library. Mr. Rodríguez-Pastor is involved in education projects as co-founder and chairman of Innova Schools and member of the Khan Academy Board. Mr. Rodríguez-Pastor graduated with a BA in Social Sciences from the University of California at Berkeley in 1983 and obtained an MBA from the Tuck School at Dartmouth College in 1988.

David Vélez is the founder, chairman of the Board of Directors, and chief executive officer of Nubank, the largest digital banking platform in the Western world. Before founding Nubank in Brazil in 2013, Mr. Velez was a partner at Sequoia Capital, in charge of the firm’s Latin American investments group. Previously, he worked in investment banking and growth equity at Goldman Sachs, Morgan Stanley, and General Atlantic. In 2021, along with his wife, Mariel Reyes, he founded VélezReyes+ as the personal and family philanthropic platform which has quickly become a powerhouse advancing education, skills training, and leadership across Latin America. He holds a BS in Management Science and Engineering and an MBA, both from Stanford University.

Press contact: mediarelations@as-coa.org