Trump can still make "peace,” Nobel goes to Maria Corina Machado

The Nobel Committee has awarded the 2025 Peace Prize to Maria Corina Machado, the leader of the Venezuelan opposition, even though US President Donald Trump was once the bookies' favorite. The committee's explanation for the decision was as follows: "her tireless work in promoting democratic rights for the Venezuelan people and for her struggle to achieve a just and peaceful transition from dictatorship to democracy.” All Nobel Prizes are awarded in Stockholm, Sweden, except for the Nobel Peace Prize, which is awarded in Oslo, in accordance with the instructions left in the will of Swedish inventor Alfred Nobel.

• The Big Loser

During his new term as US president, Donald Trump has expressed a declared ambition to receive the Nobel Peace Prize, repeatedly stating that he deserves this distinction for his foreign policy initiatives. Among the actions he invoked were the process of normalizing relations between Israel and several Arab states, the mediation (with almost zero results) between Russia and Ukraine, direct meetings with leaders of countries managing conflicts, or the withdrawal of American troops from certain conflict zones. However, although some of these steps were presented as steps towards peace, their concrete results were limited or short-lived. The international relations of the United States in the last year have often been characterized by tensions and diplomatic conflicts, generated by the withdrawal from important international agreements, such as the Paris Agreement on climate change or the nuclear agreement with Iran. Domestically, his policies have been seen by many observers as polarizing, exacerbating ideological and social divisions in American society. Although Trump has tried to project the image of a leader capable of mediating conflicts and bringing global stability, the final balance is seen more in terms of diplomatic confrontations and controversies than in sustainable results in the field of peace. According to Reuters, before the announcement of the new laureate, experts in the awarding of this prize said that Trump would not win, as he disrupts the international order that the Nobel Committee values. "I think the main thing to remember is that this Nobel Committee is once again demonstrating its independence, that it is not influenced by popular opinion or political leaders in awarding the prize," said Halvard Leira, research director at the Norwegian Institute of International Affairs, quoted by Reuters. "Trump will interpret this however he wants, but this is an award for a cause that the United States has supported very strongly over the years. The democratic opposition in Venezuela is something that the United States has been keen to support. So in that sense, it would be hard for anyone to see this as an insult to Trump,” Leira points out.

In September, at the UN, Trump boasted that he had ended seven "endless wars,” telling world leaders: "Everyone says I should get the Nobel Peace Prize.” The Nobel Peace Prize was won by four of Trump's predecessors: Barack Obama in 2009, Jimmy Carter in 2002, Woodrow Wilson in 1919 and Theodore Roosevelt in 1906.

• The big winner

The Nobel Peace Prize for 2025 is awarded to a courageous and dedicated champion of the cause of peace - a woman who keeps the flame of democracy burning amidst the growing darkness, the Nobel Committee said in a statement. Maria Corina Machado receives the Nobel Peace Prize for her tireless work in promoting democratic rights for the Venezuelan people and for her fight to achieve a just and peaceful transition from dictatorship to democracy. As a leader of the democratic movement in Venezuela, Maria Corina Machado is one of the most extraordinary examples of civil courage in Latin America in recent times, the Nobel Committee in Oslo said. Maria Corina Machado "was a key, unifying figure in a political opposition that was once deeply divided - an opposition that found common ground in the demand for free elections and representative government. This is precisely what lies at the heart of democracy: our common will to defend the principles of popular government, even if we disagree. At a time when democracy is under threat, it is more important than ever to defend this common ground,” the Nobel Committee said in a statement. Venezuela has evolved from a relatively democratic and prosperous country to a brutal and authoritarian state, which is currently facing a humanitarian and economic crisis. Most Venezuelans live in deep poverty, while the few The top brass is getting rich. The state's violent machinery is directed against its own citizens. Nearly 8 million people have fled the country. The opposition has been systematically repressed through electoral fraud, prosecution and imprisonment. The authoritarian regime in Venezuela makes political activity extremely difficult, the Nobel Committee said. Maria Corina Machado (58) wanted to run for president in Venezuela in 2024, but was barred from doing so by the Maduro regime, which is still in power.

It should not be overlooked that Donald Trump, who ardently wanted the Nobel Peace Prize, has recently turned his attention to Venezuela, and the US military has opened fire on several occasions in the waters off the Venezuelan coast on suspected drug trafficking boats. The Caracas regime has already accused the US of preparing to invade the country.

The Nobel Peace Prize, worth 11 million Swedish kronor, about $1.2 million, will be awarded in Oslo on December 10, the anniversary of the death of Swedish industrialist Alfred Nobel, who established the prizes in his 1895 will. Nominees for this year's Nobel Peace Prize include the International Criminal Court and the UN Palestinian Refugee Agency (URWA) and its Commissioner-General Philippe Lazzarini. This year, 338 candidates and 94 organizations were in the running, with 52 more nominations than last year.