Featured Image Credit: Alfredo Lasry R/Getty Images
Topics: Politics, US News, Donald Trump
Britt Jones
Topics: Politics, US News, Donald Trump
Venezuelan opposition leader and new Nobel Peace Prize winner María Corina Machado has dedicated the award to President Donald Trump.
Trump has been pretty vocal this year that he intended to win the award, which four previous US presidents have been given.
But this year Trump missed out after it was bestowed upon Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado.
Machado has been an instrumental figure in attempting to free Venezuela from poverty and move toward a democracy.
Advert
The 58-year-old was given the award last week, and Trump quickly spoke out about his loss.
He said: "The person who actually got the Nobel Prize called today, called me, and said 'I'm accepting this in honor of you, because you really deserved it.' A really nice thing to do.
"I didn't say, 'Then give it to me', though.'"
He then said: "It was given after '24 and I was running for office in '24."
He added: "There are those who say that we did so much that they should have done it."
He seemingly went on to mention the peace deal he brokered between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, stating: "I'm happy because I saved millions of lives."
The White House previously responded to the win, scathing that the 'Nobel Committee proved they place politics over peace' this year when dolling out the award.
But in a twist, Machado, took to X to acknowledge Trump and even dedicate the award to him.
"This recognition of the struggle of all Venezuelans is a boost to conclude our task: to conquer Freedom," Machado said. "We are on the threshold of victory and today, more than ever, we count on President Trump, the people of the United States, the peoples of Latin America, and the democratic nations of the world as our principal allies to achieve Freedom and democracy.”
She added: "I dedicate this prize to the suffering people of Venezuela and to President Trump for his decisive support of our cause!"
She also told Fox that his work within the last few months were deserving of the prize, claiming he ended eight wars.
Machado has previously been vocal about her support for Trump and his actions against Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro's regime and Venezuela’s narco-trafficking network.
After it was reported last month that a US strike killed 11 alleged Tren de Aragua narco-terrorists who were said to have been transporting drugs from Venezuela, Machado told Fox & Friends that she was ‘grateful’ to Trump.
"On behalf of the Venezuelan people, I want to tell you how grateful we are to President Trump and the administration for addressing the tragedy that Venezuela is going through," Machado said at the time. "Maduro has turned Venezuela into the biggest threat to the national security of the US and the stability of the region."
As for why she won over Trump, Joergen Watne Frydnes, chair of the Norwegian Nobel Committee stated: "She is receiving the Nobel Peace Prize for her tireless work promoting democratic rights for the people of Venezuela and for her struggle to achieve a just and peaceful transition from dictatorship to democracy.”
As for why Trump did not, he said to Sky News: “We read the news as everyone else and this year there has been quite a lot of focus on that, but I must also say that in the long history of the Nobel peace prize, we have seen all kinds of campaigns, lobbying, pressure.
"Every year we receive thousands and thousands of letters, emails, people who want to express their opinion about who should receive the prize and also what actually leads to peace, so that’s something we’re quite used to."