Trump's Nobel Peace Prize quest takes a huge turn

Donald Trump's Nobel Prize wish took an unexpected turn when Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado dedicated her Nobel Peace Prize to the US president on Friday, acknowledging his role in the Gaza peace initiative and his support for Venezuela’s democratic movement.

In a statement posted on X, Machado wrote: “I dedicate this prize to the suffering people of Venezuela and to President Trump for his decisive support of our cause!”

She added: “We are on the threshold of victory, and today more than ever, we count on President Trump, the people of the United States, the peoples of Latin America, and the democratic nations of the world as our principal allies to achieve freedom and democracy.”

The dedication came shortly after a White House statement criticised the Nobel Committee, describing Machado’s nomination as “politics over peace.” The statement added: “The Nobel Committee has proven they place politics above genuine peace.”

The Nobel Peace Prize announcement coincided with a major geopolitical moment — it came just a day after a US-brokered ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas, proposed by President Trump last month.

Machado, 58, has long endorsed Trump’s hardline stance against Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, calling the US naval deployment near Venezuela a “necessary measure” for a democratic transition in her country.

In its citation, the Nobel Committee praised Machado’s “tireless struggle for democratic rights for the Venezuelan people and her efforts to achieve a peaceful transition from dictatorship to democracy.”

Machado has remained in hiding for over a year following Venezuela’s disputed election, which international observers widely regard as rigged in favour of Maduro.

Barred from contesting the presidency, Machado backed former diplomat Edmundo González Urrutia, who is recognised by much of the international community as the legitimate winner of last year’s election.