E-Paper
Trump not endorsing Venezuela's Maria Machado due to 'ultimate sin' of accepting Nobel Peace Prize: Report
Citing two unnamed individuals close to the White House, the Washington Post reported that Donald Trump was miffed with Maria Machado accepting the Nobel.
Suspense has shrouded Venezuela's politics following US-led strikes in the country and President Nicolas Maduro's capture by American forces. Amid ambiguity over the election schedule in the country, a Washington Post report said on Sunday that US President Donald Trump was not too keen on endorsing opposition leader Maria Corina Machado because she accepted the Nobel Peace Prize, an honour the Republican had been eyeing for long.
The report cited two unnamed individuals close to the White House. While one of them called Machado's acceptance of the coveted prize the “ultimate sin”, another said the leader lost a shot at being Venezuela's president because she accepted it. “If she (Machado) had turned it down and said, ‘I can’t accept it because it’s Donald Trump’s,’ she’d be the president of Venezuela today,” one of the persons close to the White House was quoted as saying by WaPo.
Why Maria Machado is back in focus?
Maria Machado won the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize and is back in focus ever since the US carried out strikes in Venezuela and captured Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores were captured and flown out of Caracas.
She is one of the key leaders in the opposition in Venezuela and while many saw Maduro's ouster as a chance for Machado's rise, Trump dampened those hopes recently, saying the US won't allow anyone to take over where Maduro "left off". He even said that while Machado is a “nice woman,” she lacks support and respect inside Venezuela.
For most part of 2025, Trump endorsed himself for the Nobel Peace Prize, largely for his big claim of solving eight wars. Despite significant support for his nomination, Trump couldn't win, and the Nobel Peace Prize went to Maria Machado.
Despite accepting the honour that Trump had his eyes on, Machado has been supportive of the Republican's actions pertaining to the South American country.
“It's TIME FOR FREEDOM! Venezuelans, starting today, Nicolás Maduro faces international justice for the heinous crimes committed against Venezuelans and citizens of many other nations," a part of her post on X read following the US operation in Venezuela.
Maria Machado is likely in Oslo, Norway, where she went last month to collect her prize. Disguises, two boats through choppy seas and a flight were reportedly part of her rescue from Venezuela, where she had spent over a year in hiding.
What next for elections in Venezuela?
As shock and surprise over Nicolas Maduro's capture settles down, the focus is slowly shifting to elections in Venezuela, as people seek to end suspense over who would lead the country.
However, during his latest media interaction on Monday, Trump said the focus lies more on "fixing" the country, than elections, remarks that echoed the stand taken by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who had said that Venezuelan elections would be "premature" at the moment.
Trump even warned of a second strike in the country “if they don't behave”.
