Former President of the United States Barack Obama congratulated the Venezuelan opposition leader this Friday María Corina Machado for having received the Nobel Peace Prizean award that he himself obtained in 2009. In addition, He took the opportunity to call to “defend” American democracy.
“Congratulations to the new Nobel Peace Prize winner, María Corina Machado, for her brave fight to establish democracy in Venezuela“said Obama.
He added: “This recognition should inspire those struggling in similar ways around the world and remind those of us lucky enough to live in the United States that we have a solemn responsibility to constantly preserve and defend our hard-won democratic traditions.”
The Norwegian Nobel Committee, based in Oslo, announced that Machado was the winner of the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize “for her tireless work in promoting the democratic rights of the Venezuelan people and for their fight to achieve a just and peaceful transition from dictatorship to democracy“.
The opposition leader, who remains in hiding, accepted the award with “deep gratitude” on behalf of the people of Venezuela and also dedicated it to the president of the United States, Donald Trump, a candidate for the award.
Reaction of the White House for the Nobel Peace Prize to Machado
The news generated critical reactions from the White House, which accused the Nobel Committee of “put politics before peace” by not electing Trump.
donald trump He had stated on Thursday that he deserved recognition for, according to him, having ended eight wars, unlike Obama, who, in his words, obtained it “without having done absolutely anything.”
After learning of the ruling, Steven Cheung, White House Communications Director, noted that “President Trump will continue to promote peace agreementsending wars and saving lives.
