Maria Machado Awarded Nobel Peace Prize, Snubbing Trump and Other Contenders
Oslo, Norway - Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Machado has been awarded the 2024 Nobel Peace Prize, the Norwegian Nobel Committee announced today. The decision comes amid speculation surrounding potential candidates including former U.S. President Donald Trump, Russian dissident Alexei Navalny’s widow Yulia Navalnaya, and organizations like the UN Relief and works Agency for Palestine refugees (UNRWA).
The award recognizes Machado’s decades-long commitment to democratic principles and peaceful resistance against authoritarianism in Venezuela. Her selection underscores the committee’s dedication to honoring those who champion human rights and political freedom, even in the face of notable adversity. The prize is expected to bolster the venezuelan opposition movement and amplify international pressure on the Nicolás Maduro regime.
Recent reports indicated that a recently reached agreement had no bearing on the committee’s deliberations, which are conducted in strict confidentiality. Committee members swear an oath to maintain secrecy, and nomination lists remain sealed for 50 years.
Throughout the selection process,Trump’s candidacy was widely considered improbable by observers. A European official, speaking to The Times, stated that awarding the prize to Trump was “absolutely out of the question,” predicting it would “likely lead to popular calls to close the entire prize.” The source suggested the committee favored a candidate who embodies a commitment to a ”law-based and pluralistic International system.”
Other prominent figures considered included Yulia Navalnaya, following the death of her husband, Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, as well as UNRWA and humanitarian networks operating in Sudan. The committee’s past decisions, such as awarding the prize to U.S. President theodore Roosevelt in 1906 for mediating the Russo-Japanese War despite his imperialistic policies, demonstrate a complex history of recognizing peace efforts even when linked to controversial figures.
