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“Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado won the Nobel Peace Prize on Friday for her struggle to achieve a democratic transition in the South American nation, winning recognition as a woman ‘who keeps the flame of democracy burning amid a growing darkness.’…
“There had been persistent speculation ahead of the announcement about the possibility of the prize going to U.S. President Donald Trump, fueled in part by the president himself and amplified by this week’s approval of his plan for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip…
“Hours after Friday’s announcement, Machado wrote on X that ‘today, more than ever, we count on President Trump, the people of the United States, the peoples of Latin America, and the democratic nations of the world as our principal allies to achieve Freedom and democracy.’ She added: ‘I dedicate this prize to the suffering people of Venezuela and to President Trump for his decisive support of our cause!’” AP News
The left is divided.
“[This] is an inspired choice… In the months leading up to the 2024 elections, she traversed the country despite being formally banned from running, building grassroots networks and urging people to vote. She was assaulted, harassed and ultimately disqualified by the regime-controlled Supreme Court. Still, she pressed forward, unifying the opposition behind González…
“Though the opposition clearly won in a landslide, the regime refused to recognize defeat and unleashed a wave of repression… Today, Machado lives in hiding, fully aware that her freedom — and perhaps her life — remain at risk.”
León Krauze, Washington Post
Others argue, “Machado supported a coup against democratically elected President Hugo Chávez in 2002… Aside from currying the support of Trump, Machado has repeatedly sought out alliances with authoritarian leaders such as El Salvador’s El Nayib Bukele, Brazil’s Jair Bolsonaro, and Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu…
“Machado’s brand of democracy promotion, reliant as it is on US military intervention, deserves skepticism… The fact that she’s praised both the bombing of Venezuelan boats and welcomed further American interventions into Venezuela is likely to strengthen Maduro’s hold on power, since it vindicates his claim that the opposition is filled with US puppets…
“If the Nobel committee had wanted to legitimize the anti-Maduro opposition, they could’ve given the award to feminist leaders who are both critics of the regime and oppose US intervention.”
Jeet Heer, The Nation
Regarding Trump, “It’s unlikely that the Gaza peace deal will hold—Netanyahu clearly wants to continue the war, and the thorniest part of the negotiations are yet to come—but even it does, Trump will never win the Nobel for a simple reason: He is running an increasingly violent, murderous, and despotic government. Masked goons from the Department of Homeland Security are kidnapping and disappearing people from the streets, shooting priests with pepper balls, and handcuffing naked children…
“He is ordering the wanton bombing of small boats off the coast of Venezuela and Colombia, claiming that they are filled with drugs and ‘narcoterrorists’ without providing any evidence, in clear violation of U.S. and international law. And his administration is inching closer to war in Venezuela. The fact that Machado was awarded the prize may ironically make that war more likely.”
Alex Shephard, New Republic
The right praises Machado.
The right praises Machado.
“What Machado has done is durable: she has carved out a moral pole in a country where everything else has crumbled… As she hides in an undisclosed location within Venezuela, separated from her family, Machado’s resolve stands in sharp contrast to the opposition figures who sought safety abroad. Juan Guaidó and others, once luminous names, now flicker dimly from foreign capitals. Machado stayed…
“Her prize is not a consolation; it is a spotlight – and it is deserved. Her moral clarity, her endurance, her refusal to yield to bitterness are rare forms of courage in an age addicted to cynicism. Let us be careful not to undermine Machado’s merit. Her victory need not diminish Trump’s successes. They both deserve their Nobels.”
Juan P. Villasmil, Spectator World
“The peace prize will bring new world attention to the cause of Venezuelan freedom, which Mr. Trump also supports. We only wish the Nobel committee had made her a co-winner with Jimmy Lai, the publisher who’s been a political prisoner in Hong Kong for his fight for democracy. If Mr. Trump helps Ms. Machado and the Venezuelan people restore democracy, and helps free Mr. Lai from prison, the President will deserve the Nobel next year.”
Editorial Board, Wall Street Journal
Some argue, “The prize was announced roughly 36 hours after Trump secured [the Gaza] peace deal… He ignored the conventional wisdom that what the Muslim countries wanted most of all was an end to Israel. Instead, he focused on the fact that the Muslim states in play each wanted something he could deliver…
“As with the other peace deals Trump has helped mediate this year alone—between Armenia and Azerbaijan, between India and Pakistan, between the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda, to name just a few—it’s impossible to imagine any other global leader pulling off such a feat…
“Some have noted that the deadline for Nobel Peace Prize nominations is January 31, meaning that Trump’s accomplishments were not eligible for consideration. Even if we assume that’s the case, the last American president to win the prize was Barack Obama in 2009, who had barely assumed office before the deadline… Machado is no doubt deserving of this honor, and it is not her win that is disgraceful, but the decision to deny the prize to Trump… There’s no reason the Nobel couldn’t have gone to both of them.”
Batya Ungar-Sargon, Free Press
