In Venezuela, Nobel Peace Prize awarded to anti-government activist sparks tears of hope and condemnation

CARACAS, Venezuela — Some saw the news as the beginning of the end of the economic, political and social calamity that over the past decade has engulfed Venezuela, prompting millions to flee their South American homeland.

“When I heard the news, I cried, I hugged my children and I prayed,” said Mari Carmen Bermúdez, 34, a supermarket cashier in Caracas. “I have a feeling our nightmare will end soon.”

Others said the awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize to María Corina Machado – a veteran anti-government activist who lives in hiding here – was just the latest chapter in the US-led plot to overthrow President Nicolas Maduro.

“In my opinion, lady Machado never called for peace in the country, only for war,” said Yober David Avalos, 28, an appliance repairman and motorcycle taxi driver. “I don’t think she is a persecuted politician. From her hiding place, she called for the invasion of Venezuela.

The mixed reactions to Machado’s award, both in Venezuela and across the continent, reflect the political complexity and evolving alliances in the region. Argentina’s conservative president and Colombia’s left-wing leader both congratulated Machado. Cuba denounced as “shameful” the decision to honor “a person who incites military intervention in his country”. Mexico’s left-wing President Claudia Sheinbaum, the region’s top leader, declined to comment.

Some observers question whether the reward could encourage more aggressive U.S. behavior toward Maduro, whom the White House has called a “narcoterrorist.”

There was no immediate official reaction in Venezuela to Machado’s award. The news made international headlines but was ignored by official news channels.

On social media, Machado declared that the opposition was “on the verge of victory” and pointedly sent verbal bouquets to Trump.

“I dedicate this award to the suffering people of Venezuela and to President Trump for his decisive support of our cause!” » Machado wrote.

It was a nod to a president who had campaigned openly for the award and was clearly outraged that he had lost. The White House lamented that the Nobel Committee had chosen “politics over peace.”

In an apparent attempt at conciliation, Machado contacted Trump by telephone.

“The person who received the Nobel Prize called me today and said, ‘I accept this in your honor, because you truly deserve it,'” Trump said Friday in the Oval Office. “It’s a very good thing to do. I didn’t say, ‘Then give it to me,’ although I think she could have done it. She was very nice.”

Although touted by its supporters as the country of Venezuela “iron lady” — the Iron Lady, a nickname given decades ago to British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher — Machado is a controversial figure, even within the Venezuelan opposition. Critics criticize his unequivocal praise of Trump and his policies – as well as his refusal to back down from possible military intervention in Venezuela.

It is not yet clear whether this price will affect the evolution of Washington’s policy towards Venezuela. Even though the United States has increased the bounty for Maduro’s head to $50 million, Washington and Caracas continue to cooperate on several levels: Venezuela has agreed to expulsions from the United States and the Trump administration is allowing American oil giant Chevron to operate in the country.

“I think the United States is still where it was before,” said Geoff Ramsey, a Venezuela analyst at the Atlantic Council, a Washington-based think tank. “Ultimately, Washington’s policy toward Venezuela stands at a crossroads. The White House must decide whether to step up military strikes, engage directly with Caracas, or simply declare victory and move on.”

Machado said his political movement was ready to take over if Maduro fell and had a plan for the first 100 days of transition.

In selecting Machado, the Norwegian Nobel Committee cited “his struggle to achieve a just and peaceful transition from dictatorship to democracy.”

Details of the Nobel deliberations remain secret. But there was speculation that Machado was chosen in part because she would be acceptable in the White House, perhaps tempering Trump’s annoyance at not winning the award.

Machado, 58, is conservative and openly advocates for regime change in a government that is in Washington’s crosshairs.

Still, Machado “has a legitimate cause behind her, and this award means a lot to Venezuelans who have committed to democracy in an authoritarian context,” said Laura Cristina Dib, a Venezuela analyst for the Washington Office on Latin America, a research and advocacy group.

Amid widespread allegations of fraud, Maduro claimed victory at the polls in July 2024, but refused to present definitive data supporting his claims. According to the opposition, the candidate supported by Machado, Edmundo González Urrutia, was deprived of the presidency. Washington recognizes him as the winner.

On Friday, Machado refused to respond when asked by Spanish daily El País if she ruled out a U.S. military incursion into Venezuela. Governments, she said, must make a choice: “to be with the Venezuelan people or with a narcoterrorist cartel.”

In a recent appearance on Fox News, Machado did not oppose the Trump administration’s policy of blowing up boats suspected of carrying drugs in international waters off the coast of Venezuela — attacks that left 21 people dead and which human rights activists have called extrajudicial killings.

In his guest space on Fox, Machado echoed the White House’s talking points. “Maduro has made Venezuela the greatest threat to U.S. national security and regional stability,” she said.

Additionally, Machado did not condemn Trump’s controversial immigration policies, including the March deportation of more than 200 Venezuelan nationals to a prison in El Salvador, a move denounced by human rights activists — and by Maduro — as illegal.

Machado also did not weigh in on Trump’s plan to end the protected status of more than 500,000 Venezuelans in the United States, a move that could lead to their deportation.

One hope, Dib said, is that “giving her this award is a way to hold her to a higher standard in her attempt to achieve a democratic transition.”

The award resonated with many in Florida — home to the largest Venezuelan population in the United States — where Republican and Democratic leaders have praised Machado.

Rep. Carlos A. Gimenez (R-Florida) called her “the world’s most courageous freedom fighter,” adding, “Maria Corina inspired us all and dedicated her victory to President Trump – the most powerful ally the Venezuelan people have ever had.” »

But some feared that Trump supporters, enraged by this resentment, could brandish the award against Venezuelans in the United States.

“We were already being criminalized and singled out,” said Maria Puerta Riera, a Venezuelan-American political science professor in Orlando and Colorado. “It’s not going to improve our image.”

Special correspondent Mogollón reported from Caracas, Times editors McDonnell and Linthicum from Mexico City, and Times editor Ceballos from Washington. Times Staff Writer Andrea Castillo in Washington contributed to this report.