White House Denounces Nobel Peace Prize Snub to Trump, Awards Venezuelan Opposition Leader Machado
The Norwegian Nobel Committee stunned the world on October 10, 2025, by awarding the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize to Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado for her “tireless work promoting democratic rights,” prompting a fiery backlash from the White House that accused the panel of prioritizing “politics over peace” in a snub to U.S. President Donald Trump.
The announcement at the Norwegian Nobel Institute in Oslo came amid speculation that Trump, who has actively campaigned for the prize citing his role in brokering a recent Gaza ceasefire, would be honored. White House Communications Director Steven Cheung fired back, stating, “The Nobel Committee proved they place politics over peace,” echoing sentiments from Trump’s Republican allies who had lobbied for his nomination despite the deadline falling early in his term.
Machado, 56, a chemical engineer turned fierce critic of President Nicolás Maduro’s regime, was lauded for uniting Venezuela’s opposition and keeping “the flame of democracy burning” despite being barred from running for office in 2024 and forced into hiding amid threats to her life. The Committee, chaired by Jørgen Watne Frydnes, praised her for embodying “civilian courage in Latin America,” noting her role in mobilizing voters against Maduro’s disputed re-election and facing widespread human rights abuses. Independent monitors, including the Carter Center, confirmed opposition candidate Edmundo González’s victory, yet Maduro claimed power, sparking protests met with repression.
In a twist, Machado dedicated the prize in part to Trump, thanking him for supporting her democracy push against Maduro, a regime Trump has repeatedly condemned. Trump reportedly called Machado to congratulate her, saying she “deserves the award,” per CBS News sources, despite the administration’s public ire. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, a longtime Machado supporter, nominated her in August 2024 and celebrated her win, calling her a “hero” against Maduro’s “thuggish dictatorship.”
Frydnes addressed the speculation, noting the Committee’s independence and history of resisting campaigns, with 338 nominees for 2025. Machado, in hiding since 2024, received the news with disbelief: “Oh my God… I have no words,” dedicating it to Venezuela’s suffering people and Trump. Opposition candidate Edmundo González also congratulated her, calling it recognition for “the long fight of a woman and of a whole people.”
The award, amid global democracy retreats, underscores the Committee’s focus on civilian activists, with Machado embodying Latin America’s courage against authoritarianism.
