María Corina Machado to meet Trump in Washington amid Norwegian backlash

María Corina Machado, the Venezuelan opposition leader and Nobel Peace Prize laureate, is expected to meet in Washington with former U.S. president Donald Trump on Thursday after she proposed sharing her prize with him. The proposal and her courting of Mr. Trump have drawn scorn in Norway, where the prize is seen as a key element of national soft power.

The Nobel Institute reminded the public that “once a Nobel Prize is announced, it cannot be revoked, shared or transferred to others,” and Kristian Harpviken, the institute director and secretary of the committee, said the prize is awarded on the basis of the laureate’s contributions by the time the decision is taken.

Critics in Norway said the prize is being used in a “political game,” with commentators noting Ms. Machado has cheered the U.S. military’s capture of Venezuela’s president, Nicolás Maduro, and remained silent about a bombing campaign against boats that the article said has killed more than 100 people.

The episode revived broader debates over past controversial laureates, including President Barack Obama, Abiy Ahmed and Henry Kissinger alongside Lê Đức Thọ, the article said. It is unclear what Ms. Machado hopes to gain from the meeting with Mr. Trump; after ousting Mr. Maduro, he declined to install her in power, saying “she’s a very nice woman, but she doesn’t have the respect” needed to lead the country.

Key Topics

World, María Corina Machado, Donald Trump, Nobel Peace Prize, Nobel Institute, Norway