Overview
- María Corina Machado urged President Donald Trump to step up U.S. help to oust Nicolás Maduro, calling his government a “criminal narco-terrorism structure” and saying she dedicates her prize to Trump.
- Her CNN interview followed a new U.S. strike on a boat off Venezuela that killed six people, as Trump said he authorized CIA operations inside the country and signaled the campaign could expand on land.
- The Norwegian Nobel Committee cited Machado’s advocacy for a peaceful democratic transition, while she remains in hiding after Venezuela’s disputed 2024 election and subsequent crackdown.
- Critics in multiple outlets highlight her hard-line record, including support for past coup-related actions and confrontational street mobilizations, and argue the prize could legitimize intervention.
- Venezuelan official Diosdado Cabello alleged without evidence that Machado “bought” the prize, as AFP debunked viral posts that misquoted the Nobel Committee chair about why Trump did not win.