Why even Trump critics question Maria Corina Machado’s Nobel Peace Prize – and can it be revoked?

The decision to award Maria Corina Machado the Nobel Peace Prize in 2025 has ignited a controversy, leading many to question the award’s credibility. The criticism is particularly sharp from certain progressive voices who usually oppose figures like Donald Trump, yet find Machado's politics just as alarming.

Who is Maria Corina Machado and why is she controversial?

Machado is an opposition figure in Venezuela, but critics argue there is nothing peaceful about her politics. They view her as the agreeable face of Washington’s efforts to change the regime, acting as a spokesperson for foreign intervention, strict sanctions, and the handing over of state assets to private companies, all dressed up as seeking democracy.

What actions make her peace prize problematic?

Her political history is described as steeped in violence. Machado is accused of helping the 2002 coup that briefly removed a democratically elected president and signed a decree that wiped out the country's Constitution.

A major concern is her support for US sanctions, which critics call a silent form of warfare. Studies show these sanctions have been deadly, causing more suffering than actual war by blocking vital supplies like food, energy, and medicine for entire populations. She also encouraged the 2014 opposition campaign known as La Salida, which used violent tactics like organised barricades with barbed wire, setting buses carrying workers on fire, and attacking ambulances and doctors.

Why do Trump critics oppose her award?

For those who oppose Donald Trump, Machado’s connection to him is a key issue. She cheered on Trump’s threats of invasion and the deployment of warships in the Caribbean, ready to serve as his local representative to hand over Venezuela's independence. She praised his decisive action, aligning herself with the same man accused of 'caging' migrant children. Critics view Machado as part of a destructive global grouping that includes fascism, Zionism, and neoliberalism, which justifies control and domination while speaking the language of peace and democracy. She even directly asked Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu—who the sources describe as the architect of Gaza’s annihilation—to help liberate Venezuela with bombs.

Can the Nobel Peace Prize be taken back?

Despite the fierce criticism and concern, the Nobel Peace Prize cannot be revoked. The Statutes of the Nobel Foundation and Alfred Nobel’s last will do not allow for the prize to be withdrawn once it has been awarded. The rules state clearly that there can be "No appeals" against the decision of the prize-awarding body.

While the Norwegian Nobel Committee follows the intense criticism of laureates after they win—sometimes with great concern—their mandate is limited to evaluating the work done up to the moment the award is decided. No committee has ever considered taking back a prize already granted.