US-backed Venezuelan opposition leader Machado wins Nobel Peace Prize

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
Today 13:46

Machado wins the Nobel Peace Prize despite facing criminal probes and accusations of treason and inciting unrest in Venezuela.

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Venezuelan Opposition leader Maria Corina Machado is seen among her supporters during a rally in San Antonio, Venezuela, on Wednesday, April 17, 2024. (AP)

The former opposition presidential candidate in Venezuela, Maria Corina Machado, has been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, which in a statement called her “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,” as read by Jorgen Watne Frydnes, chair of the Norwegian Nobel Committee.

Speculation ahead of the announcement had suggested US President Donald Trump as a possible recipient. Last year, the prize was awarded to Nihon Hidankyo, a grassroots group of Japanese atomic bombing survivors advocating against the use of nuclear weapons.

The Nobel Peace Prize is the only one of the annual Nobel awards presented in Oslo, Norway. The other prizes, including medicine, physics, chemistry, and literature, have already been announced this week in Stockholm, with the economics award scheduled for Monday.

Why is it controversial?

In March 2024, Venezuela's Attorney General, Tarek William Saab, accused Machado of complicity in destabilizing actions against the Venezuelan state following her disqualification from the presidential election in July after being accused of corruption.

It is worth noting that the presidential elections were held in Venezuela on July 28, 2024, to choose a president for a six-year term beginning on January 10, 2025.

According to Saab, the opposition's plot was to incite an anti-state uprising by rallying "the masses using labor and student unions to incentivize a military wing."

Venezuelan Court launches criminal probe into opposition post-election

In August, Venezuelan prosecutors launched a criminal investigation against two opposition leaders for reportedly mobilizing the army to side "with the people" following the July 28 presidential elections.

At the time, prosecutors revealed that charges had been raised against presidential candidate Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia and Machado, which include "announcing a false winner", instigating disobedience and insurrection, and conspiracy.

The Venezuelan National Electoral Council (CNE) said it provided the Supreme Court with the required and detailed documents needed to verify that President Nicolas Maduro won the elections.

"Everything requested by the republic's highest court has been submitted," CNE chairman Elvis Amoroso said.

In the same period, Venezuela's Supreme Court initiated an audit of the presidential election results and summoned all candidates for testimony, following calls from opposition activists and international supporters for a vote recount.

The audit was requested by President Nicolas Maduro, who filed a constitutional protection lawsuit with the Electoral Chamber of the Supreme Tribunal of Justice, asserting electoral interference.

"[The court] has accepted, supported, and initiated an investigation and verification process in order to ultimately determine the results of the election," the statement released.

The court summoned all 10 presidential candidates to provide testimony before the Electoral Chamber on August 2.

Venezuela's opposition bears responsibility for the violent unrest

On August 24, Venezuelan prosecutors summoned opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez to testify about his involvement in the creation of a website used by Venezuela's far-right to spread false election results alleging that President Nicolas Maduro had been defeated.

"Citizen Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia" is summoned "on August 26 at 10 am for an interview," the prosecutors said.

At the time, the Prosecutor’s Office launched a criminal investigation against Gonzalez and Machado to determine their roles in crimes related to the "usurpation" of authority, spreading false information to incite unrest, encouraging disobedience of the law, incitement to insurrection, criminal conspiracy, and related offenses.

In hearings before the Supreme Court’s Electoral Chamber, initiated by President Nicolas Maduro's challenge, the parties backing Gonzalez's candidacy admitted they lacked the evidence to verify their claims of electoral fraud.

Saab also underscored that Gonzalez and other far-right figures bear responsibility for the 27 deaths and 129 injuries that occurred during the violent unrest on July 29 and 30.

Wider context

Machado announced that the opposition views Gonzalez, the main rival to President Nicolas Maduro, as the winner of Venezuela's 2024 presidential election.

Elvis Amoroso, chairman of Venezuela's National Electoral Council, declared Maduro the winner of the election, citing that he secured 51.2% of the vote with 80% of the ballots counted.

Exit polls put Gonzalez, of the Unitary Platform opposition alliance, at 44.2%, while Machado claimed that Gonzalez scored 70%. She said the opposition alliance would rally the people to defend its take on the vote.

Venezuela requests UNSC meeting over US military buildup

The Nobel Prize announcement comes amid heightened tensions in the Caribbean, where the United States has expanded its military presence under the pretext of ensuring “regional stability.” This buildup, seen by many governments as an act of aggression, has fueled fears of renewed interventionism and pressure against sovereign nations like Venezuela and Cuba.

Against this backdrop, Washington’s increasing meddling in regional affairs has drawn sharp criticism from Caracas, which accuses the US of using democracy and human rights rhetoric as tools to justify its geopolitical ambitions.

Earlier today, the Venezuelan government formally requested an emergency session of the UN Security Council, following the ongoing developments.

In a statement released around the same time, Cuba’s Foreign Ministry warned of a growing campaign of US aggression against the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, stating that the “clear goal of this escalation is to topple the constitutional government of President Nicolás Maduro and install a Washington-backed regime.”

Simultaneously, Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yván Gil expressed gratitude to Cuba on behalf of President Maduro, emphasizing that the situation, “fueled by baseless narratives”, is deteriorating and poses a serious threat to regional stability. He reaffirmed Caracas’ commitment to peace and national sovereignty, condemning what he called the “irresponsible actions of those in the US government advocating for war.”