Trump overlooked as Venezuela activist wins Nobel Peace Prize
Trump overlooked as Venezuela activist wins Nobel Peace Prize
Synopsis: Despite Cambodia’s nomination of the US president, the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize has been awarded to Maria Corina Machado for her courageous defence of democracy.
Despite Phnom Penh’s push for the Nobel Peace Prize to be handed to the US President Donald Trump in honour of his contribution to the ceasefire between Cambodia and Thailand following a deadly border clash, the prestigious award went to María Corina Machado, a Venezuelan politician and activist.
In a statement released on Friday, the Norwegian Nobel Committee praised Machado for being “one of the most extraordinary examples of civilian courage in Latin America in recent times.”
As the leader of Venezuela’s democracy movement, Machado played a unifying role in bringing together a deeply divided opposition under a shared demand for free elections and representative governance—principles the Nobel Committee described as “the heart of democracy”.
“At a time when democracy is under threat, it is more important than ever to defend this common ground,” the Committee said.
Machado, 57, is a long-time opposition figure and founder of Sumate, a civil organisation promoting democratic development and electoral transparency. Since the early 2000s, she has been a prominent voice against Venezuela’s slide into authoritarianism.
The Nobel Committee highlighted Machado’s pivotal role during Venezuela’s 2024 presidential election, when she was barred from running by the government. Instead of retreating, she threw her support behind Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia, another opposition candidate, and helped mobilise hundreds of thousands of volunteers as election observers.
The volunteers risked arrest and torture to monitor polling stations, ensuring the vote tallies were recorded before the regime could manipulate results. Opposition leaders later released verified vote counts showing they had won by a wide margin—evidence the government refused to acknowledge.
The announcement revealed that Machado has spent much of the past year in hiding due to threats against her life, but she remains in Venezuela, continuing her activism. Her courage, the committee said, “has inspired millions of people.” Machado’s “innovative, brave, peaceful, and democratic” leadership helped inspire Venezuelans to continue their peaceful fight for freedom despite mounting repression, it said.
President Trump had asserted that this year’s Nobel Peace Prize should be presented to him for his roles in “bringing peace” to numerous conflicting parties. Leaders of multiple country leaders agreed, including Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet.
In August, Cambodia announced it nominated the US President for the Nobel Peace Prize for his contribution to a ceasefire between warring Cambodia and Thailand.
In a letter to the Norwegian Nobel Committee, Mr Hun Manet praised Trump’s “extraordinary statesmanship” and credited Trump for brokering an immediate and unconditional ceasefire between Cambodia and Thailand—an intervention the Cambodian leader described as having “averted a potentially devastating conflict.”
“This nomination reflects not only my appreciation but also the heartfelt gratitude of the people of Cambodia,” he wrote in the letter sent from Phnom Penh on August 7. He lauded Trump’s “visionary and innovative diplomacy” that he said aligns with the spirit of Alfred Nobel’s vision of promoting international fraternity and peace.
He said Trump’s mediation efforts helped prevent significant loss of life and laid the foundation for renewed peace between the two Southeast Asian neighbours, whose border dispute had escalated into a military standoff in recent weeks.
The letter also emphasised Trump’s broader record of conflict de-escalation, stating that the US president had made “exceptional achievements in de-escalating tensions in some of the world’s most volatile regions.”
Following the announcement of the prize winner, Trump confirmed he had a phone interview with the Venezuelan activist on Friday.
“The person who actually got the Nobel Prize called today, called me and said, ‘I’m accepting this in honour of you, because you really deserved it,’” he said. “A very nice thing to do. I didn’t, I didn’t say, ‘Then give it to me,’ though I think she might have. She was very nice.”
“I’ve been helping her along the way,” Trump added. “They need a lot of help in Venezuela; it’s a basic disaster. So, and you could also say it was given out for ‘24, and I was running for office in ‘24.”
Documentation Centre of Cambodia Director Youk Chhang said the winner was “predictable” but added that Trump “is too good” for the Nobel Peace Prize but “fought for it anyway.” He suggested an Asia-based accolade to be given to the president for his peace effort in the region.
“For the modern era, the Nobel Peace Prize has stood out as the highest symbol of recognition for efforts toward peace, but global power has shifted, and perhaps the Ramon Magsaysay Award is more fitting for the present moment of recognising American leadership,” he said. “The Ramon Magsaysay Award represents the Nobel Peace Prize for Asia because the total population of Southeast Asia is approximately 678 million people.”
Youk added that the Trump administration stands out for its innovation, strategic vision, and bold approach concerning matters of international affairs. Its significant impact on and contributions to global peace deserve recognition through an award that is equally exceptional and meaningful.
Asian Vision Institute President Chheng Kimlong said he believes that the US President will continue to display effort in ending the Cambodian-Thai conflict despite not having won the Nobel Peace Prize.
“President Trump did not help Cambodia and Thailand end their fighting just because he wanted to win the Nobel Prize,” he said. “It is about building his legacy as the US President and reaffirming the US’s influence as the leader of the world.” -Khmer Times-
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