Summary
- White
House criticized the Nobel Committee’s choice of Venezuelan opposition
leader. - Donald
Trump was a strong contender for the 2025 Peace Prize. - Prize
awarded to María Corina Machado for promoting democracy in Venezuela.
Maria Corina Machado of Venezuela
was given the yearly prize by the Norwegian Nobel Committee, which cited
“courageous defenders of freedom who rise and resist” authoritarian
authority.
“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,”
White House spokesperson Steven Cheung
said in a post on X.
“The Nobel Committee proved
they place politics over peace.”
Trump announced a ceasefire and
hostage agreement to stop the battle in Gaza only this week, and he has run a
vigorous campaign for the award.
The Republican president posted
three videos of supporters applauding the Gaza deal on his Truth Social account
on Friday morning, but he has not yet responded to the Nobel decision.
The White House response framed
the award as overlooking Trump’s contributions to peace in favor of a
contentious foreign political figure.
What reasons did the Nobel
Committee give for choosing María Corina Machado?
Machado served as a unifying
figure for the fractured Venezuelan political opposition, who largely agreed on
opposing free elections and representative government.
Her fierce opposition to the
militarisation of Venezuelan society and her strong commitment to a peaceful
democratic transition.
The humanitarian and economic
crisis in Venezuela under authoritarian rule, where the vast majority of
citizens live in poverty while the state represses all opposition.
She is a symbol of civilian
courage throughout Latin America and works to defend the principles of popular
rule, free expression, and peaceful democracy.
