Leftist Leaders Condemn Award as U.S. Backs Opposition Against Maduro Regime

Maria Corina Machado, 58, a Venezuelan opposition leader and this year's Nobel Peace Prize laureate, told a BBC interview on the 11th that "the Venezuelan people are very grateful to U.S. President Donald Trump for his efforts toward peace, freedom, and democracy not only in the United States but around the world." Machado also said, "I was pleased to convey the gratitude of the Venezuelan people to Trump during a phone call."

After the Nobel Peace Prize announcement on the 10th, Machado, who shared her thoughts on social media stating she dedicated the award to "the suffering people and President Trump," has continued to express profound gratitude toward Trump in foreign media interviews. Meanwhile, leftist leaders from neighboring countries, who have clashed with the U.S., criticized the decision to award the peace prize to Machado, signaling rising tensions between pro- and anti-American factions in Latin America.

Machado, reportedly in hiding to avoid threats from President Nicolas Maduro and key regime figures who have persecuted her as a political rival, has given a series of interviews to Western media since the Nobel announcement. She emphasized her intent to collaborate with the Trump administration to resist Maduro's regime. In a previous interview with The Times of London, she stated, "In the nine months since Trump took office, conflicts in the Middle East and other regions have been resolved," adding, "He deserves next year's Nobel Peace Prize." Targeting Maduro, she said, "He has two options: step down through negotiation or without it." This is interpreted as continued pressure for Maduro's resignation, highlighting last year's disputed presidential election and his authoritarian rule, which multiple Western countries have condemned as illegitimate.

Prospects suggest Venezuela's opposition, reinvigorated by Machado's Nobel win, will intensify efforts to oust Maduro with Trump administration support. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio pledged solidarity with the Venezuelan people against Maduro's regime in July. Since Maduro took power in 2013, major opposition leaders have fled abroad or gone into hiding to avoid persecution. Marilis Parra, one such leader active in Colombia, told Reuters, "The Nobel announcement has given us courage not to stop fighting for freedom."

The U.S. State Department dispatched warships and naval/marine forces to Puerto Rico and elsewhere in August, citing efforts to block drug trafficking from Venezuela. Maduro, vowing to "defend against U.S. military aggression," has mobilized civilians into militias, fostering a wartime atmosphere. Since the Nobel announcement, Maduro has avoided direct comments but focused on promoting militia and military-police activities on Facebook.

Leftist Latin American leaders, traditional allies of Maduro, condemned Machado's Nobel Peace Prize. Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel criticized the decision as a "political ploy to weaken revolutionary forces, including the legitimate President Maduro." Former Bolivian President Evo Morales called it "immoral to award a prize to someone who incited violence and coups."

Pro-Western and centrist leaders, however, unanimously celebrated Machado's recognition. Paraguayan President Santiago Peña stated, "This is a just acknowledgment of Machado's struggle for democracy," adding, "Paraguay will continue to support this dream until it is realized." Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino also hailed it as "a great victory and recognition of her dedication to peaceful struggle on behalf of the people fighting for freedom."

Venezuela's Machado Praises Trump Over Nobel Peace Prize