Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize on Friday “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.” The Norwegian Nobel Committee described Machado as a “key, unifying figure” in the Venezuelan opposition to President Nicolas Maduro, noting that his “authoritarian regime makes political work extremely difficult.” Machado was a candidate in the primaries ahead of the 2023 presidential election, before being blocked from running by the government. In 2024, she announced that she was forced into hiding. “Despite serious threats against her life she has remained in the country, a choice that has inspired millions of people,” the Nobel committee said.
WH says Nobel Committee puts politics before peace
White House Communications Director Steven Cheung (pictured) accused the Nobel Committee on Friday of prioritizing politics over peace after United States President Donald Trump was not awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, although his efforts to bring peace to the Gaza Strip apparently yielded results. “President Trump will continue making peace deals, ending wars, and saving lives. He has the heart of a humanitarian, and there will never be anyone like him who can move mountains with the sheer force of his will,” Cheung said in a post on X. Earlier in the day, the Norwegian Nobel Committee awarded the peace prize to Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado “for her struggle to achieve a just and peaceful transition from dictatorship to democracy.”