Venezuelan opposition leader, María Corina Machado, has been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, which she has dedicated to former President Donald Trump. Trump’s aspirations for the prize were well known this year, as four previous U.S. presidents have received it. However, it was Machado who was honored for her significant efforts in pushing Venezuela towards democracy and alleviating poverty.
The 58-year-old political figure was recognized last week, and Trump promptly shared his reaction to not winning. He mentioned, “The person who actually got the Nobel Prize called today, called me, and said ‘I’m accepting this in honor of you, because you really deserved it.’ A really nice thing to do. I didn’t say, ‘Then give it to me,’ though.”
Trump also remarked, “It was given after ’24 and I was running for office in ’24,” and added, “There are those who say that we did so much that they should have done it.” He referenced the peace initiative involving Israel and Hamas in Gaza, claiming, “I’m happy because I saved millions of lives.”
The White House had criticized the Nobel Committee for allegedly prioritizing politics over peace when decisions were made about this year’s award.
Machado, in an unexpected move, acknowledged Trump and dedicated her award to him through a post on X. She stated, “This recognition of the struggle of all Venezuelans is a boost to conclude our task: to conquer Freedom. We are on the threshold of victory and 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 continued, “I dedicate this prize to the suffering people of Venezuela and to President Trump for his decisive support of our cause!”
In an interview with Fox, she praised Trump’s recent achievements, claiming he put an end to eight wars. Machado has consistently voiced her support for Trump, particularly in his opposition to Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and Venezuela’s drug-trafficking operations.
Following reports of a U.S. strike last month that killed 11 alleged Tren de Aragua narco-terrorists linked to drug transportation from Venezuela, Machado expressed her gratitude to Trump on Fox & Friends. “On behalf of the Venezuelan people, I want to tell you how grateful we are to President Trump and the administration for addressing the tragedy that Venezuela is going through,” she said. “Maduro has turned Venezuela into the biggest threat to the national security of the US and the stability of the region.”
Joergen Watne Frydnes, the chair of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, explained Machado’s victory, stating, “She is receiving the Nobel Peace Prize for her tireless work promoting democratic rights for the people of Venezuela and for her struggle to achieve a just and peaceful transition from dictatorship to democracy.”
Regarding Trump’s omission, Frydnes told Sky News, “We read the news as everyone else and this year there has been quite a lot of focus on that, but I must also say that in the long history of the Nobel peace prize, we have seen all kinds of campaigns, lobbying, pressure. Every year we receive thousands and thousands of letters, emails, people who want to express their opinion about who should receive the prize and also what actually leads to peace, so that’s something we’re quite used to.”