Nobel Peace Prize Winner Corina Machado Hails Trump as Key Ally in Venezuela’s Fight for Freedom

Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado celebrated her Nobel Peace Prize win on Friday, calling it a tribute to “the struggle of all Venezuelans to achieve freedom.” Awarded for her efforts to lead a peaceful and fair transition of power in Venezuela, Machado said the honor strengthens her mission to liberate the country from authoritarian rule.

Posting on X, the industrial engineer-turned-political leader emphasized that Venezuela is “on the threshold of victory” and that support from US President Donald Trump, the American people, Latin America, and democratic nations worldwide is crucial to achieving freedom and democracy. “Venezuela will be free!” she concluded.

The Norwegian Nobel Committee’s choice to award Machado over Trump came despite the US president’s own public campaigning for the prize and his claims of mediating several global conflicts, including securing the recent Gaza ceasefire. The White House criticized the decision, asserting that Trump “has the heart of a humanitarian” and unmatched ability to make peace. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also backed Trump, posting that “President @realDonaldTrump makes it happen. The facts speak for themselves.”

Machado has faced grave personal risks for her activism, including threats to her life, brief detention during protests, and being barred from running in the 2024 presidential election against Nicolas Maduro. She continues to reject Maduro’s third-term win, widely condemned as fraudulent, with Trump’s team labeling him an illegitimate leader and signaling support for replacing him with Machado.