<p>Maria Corina Machado’s Nobel Prize for Peace comes in honour of 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.” </p><p>The Nobel Committee’s choice has invited criticism, as some of its decisions have in the past. Machado has led a popular movement against the government in her country, which has been accused of authoritarian conduct. She has opposed Venezuela’s socialist governments, first under Hugo Chavez and then under the present President Nicolas Maduro. </p><p>Machado has been in hiding since August last year, following Maduro’s victory in an election held amid allegations of fraud. Hers is an important fight, considering that various international agencies, including UN bodies, have indicted the Venezuelan regime for suppression of democracy and dissent.</p>.<p>The Committee said that as the leader of the democratic movement in Venezuela, Machado was an extraordinary example of civilian courage. It noted that democracy depends on people “who refuse to stay silent” despite grave risks, and who remind us that freedom “must never be taken for granted”. </p><p>Machado has been a victim of repression and suffered for her resistance against the government. She was accused of treason and tried for it. She was stripped of her seat in the National Assembly and barred from contesting elections. The targeted attacks forced her to go into hiding and have made her a symbol of a fight for democratic and human rights in a world marked by rising authoritarianism.</p>.<p>There, however, are relevant grounds to question the Committee’s choice. Machado has made statements backing Israel, which has unleashed a war on Palestinians and has been censured for its brazen trampling of human rights. She is an admirer of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, has equated Venezuela’s struggle to the “struggle” of Israel, and called Israel a "genuine ally of freedom.” </p><p>She has also dedicated her Prize to United States President Donald Trump, who is among the most authoritarian of the world’s leaders. Can a person who supports a state known for its war crimes be considered a champion of peace and awarded the top prize for it? Machado has pushed back against the powerful for democratic rights in her country, but the fight for peace and human rights is not divisible; it cannot be tailored for different situations. Her win presents the world with an opportunity to remember Myanmar’s Aung San Suu Kyi, who won the Nobel Prize for Peace in 1991, and later voiced support for the suppression of the Rohingya in her country.</p>
<p>Maria Corina Machado’s Nobel Prize for Peace comes in honour of 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.” </p><p>The Nobel Committee’s choice has invited criticism, as some of its decisions have in the past. Machado has led a popular movement against the government in her country, which has been accused of authoritarian conduct. She has opposed Venezuela’s socialist governments, first under Hugo Chavez and then under the present President Nicolas Maduro. </p><p>Machado has been in hiding since August last year, following Maduro’s victory in an election held amid allegations of fraud. Hers is an important fight, considering that various international agencies, including UN bodies, have indicted the Venezuelan regime for suppression of democracy and dissent.</p>.<p>The Committee said that as the leader of the democratic movement in Venezuela, Machado was an extraordinary example of civilian courage. It noted that democracy depends on people “who refuse to stay silent” despite grave risks, and who remind us that freedom “must never be taken for granted”. </p><p>Machado has been a victim of repression and suffered for her resistance against the government. She was accused of treason and tried for it. She was stripped of her seat in the National Assembly and barred from contesting elections. The targeted attacks forced her to go into hiding and have made her a symbol of a fight for democratic and human rights in a world marked by rising authoritarianism.</p>.<p>There, however, are relevant grounds to question the Committee’s choice. Machado has made statements backing Israel, which has unleashed a war on Palestinians and has been censured for its brazen trampling of human rights. She is an admirer of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, has equated Venezuela’s struggle to the “struggle” of Israel, and called Israel a "genuine ally of freedom.” </p><p>She has also dedicated her Prize to United States President Donald Trump, who is among the most authoritarian of the world’s leaders. Can a person who supports a state known for its war crimes be considered a champion of peace and awarded the top prize for it? Machado has pushed back against the powerful for democratic rights in her country, but the fight for peace and human rights is not divisible; it cannot be tailored for different situations. Her win presents the world with an opportunity to remember Myanmar’s Aung San Suu Kyi, who won the Nobel Prize for Peace in 1991, and later voiced support for the suppression of the Rohingya in her country.</p>
