Norwegian political figures have reacted with outrage after Venezuelan opposition leader and Nobel Peace Prize laureate María Corina Machado handed her Nobel medal to former US president Donald Trump, a move critics have condemned as inappropriate, misleading and damaging to the credibility of the prestigious award.
Machado presented the medal to Trump at the White House on Thursday, saying it was offered “in recognition of his unique commitment to our freedom”. Trump later boasted on Truth Social that Machado had “presented me with her Nobel peace prize for the work I have done”, calling it “a wonderful gesture of mutual respect”.
Norway’s Nobel Peace Centre quickly pushed back, stating on social media that while “a medal can change owners, the title of a Nobel peace prize laureate cannot”. The Norwegian Nobel Committee and the Norwegian Nobel Institute had already stressed that the prize cannot be revoked, shared or transferred when Machado first announced her intention on Friday.
Machado was awarded the peace prize in Oslo last month after a dramatic, clandestine journey out of Venezuela, in recognition of her long campaign for democracy against Nicolás Maduro’s brutal, authoritarian state.
Since then, Trump has invaded Venezuela, ousted Maduro and installed the country’s vice-president, Delcy Rodríguez, as the new leader. Kirsti Bergstø, leader of Norway’s Socialist Left party and its foreign policy spokesperson, said, “This is, above all, absurd.
The peace prize cannot be given away,” she said. Bergstø added that Trump’s recent threats to invade Greenland underscored why he was unfit for such an honour.
“Trump will no doubt claim that he has now received it, but it cannot be transferred, and Trump’s repeated threats toward Greenland clearly demonstrate why it would have been madness to award him the prize.” Trygve Slagsvold Vedum, leader of the Centre party, said, “Whoever has received the prize has received the prize.” “Trump accepted the medal says something about him as a person; a classic showoff who wants to decorate himself with other people’s honours and work.” He added.
Raymond Johansen, former Labour mayor of Oslo and now secretary general of Norwegian People’s Aid, called the affair “unbelievably embarrassing and damaging”. He warned that Machado’s actions risked undermining the credibility of the Nobel Peace Prize itself. “This is unbelievably embarrassing and damaging to one of the world’s most recognised and important prizes.
The awarding of the prize is now so politicised and potentially dangerous that it could easily legitimise an anti-peace prize development,” Johansen wrote on Facebook. “I can’t believe she actually gave the prize to Trump. What on earth is the Nobel committee going to say?” He added.
Norway’s foreign ministry declined to comment, stressing that the prize operates independently of the Norwegian government, and referred questions to the Norwegian Nobel Committee, which did not immediately respond.
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