‘She is pandering to Trump’s ego’: Kanwal Sibal on Machado giving away her Nobel Peace Prize

Nobel Peace Prize awardee Maria Corina Machado is pandering to US President Donald Trump’s ego by giving away her prestigious award to him, said former foreign secretary of India, Kanwal Sibal. Machado is questioning the judgment of the peace prize committee, he said. Sibal said that the Venezuelan opposition leader thinks Trump’s aggression in her country is peaceful.

Machado, who had earlier reiterated that Trump deserves the Nobel Peace Prize and Venezuelans certainly wanted him to be honoured with the award, gave away her own peace prize to the president during a visit to the White House. She said the “gift” was in recognition of his commitment to freedom of the Venezuelan people. 

Many have seen Machado’s earlier placatory statements and her eventual action of giving away the Nobel Peace Prize to Trump as her attempt to sway him after he dismissed the idea of installing her as the leader of Venezuela after the capture of Nicolas Maduro.

“By this gesture Machado implies that Trump was more deserving than her to receive the Nobel Peace prize, endorsing Trump’s claim that he was wrongfully denied the award.  Machado is implicitly questioning the judgment of the Nobel Peace Prize committee in presenting the medal to her in preference. She is pandering to Trump’s ego by presenting the medal to its “rightful” recipient,” said Sibal. 

On the other hand, for Trump to accept the award ‘second hand’ diminishes the importance of it for him, said Sibal. He said it showed a lack of pride to receive a second hand good and feel honoured.

“The irony is that Machado seems to think that Trump  attacking Venezuela, abducting its sitting president, claiming ownership of Venezuelan oil, all in violation of the UN Charter and international law, are totally peaceful actions. Shows what she is made of. Shows the faulty judgment of the Nobel Prize committee in honouring such a flighty person. Theatre of the Absurd,” he said.

Trump had openly campaigned for the prize before Machado was awarded last month. He even complained bitterly when he was snubbed. He has often linked his wish to win the Nobel Peace Prize with diplomatic achievements, often repeating that he had ended eight wars. 

It must be mentioned that even though Machado gave her award away to Trump, the honour remained hers. The Norwegian Nobel Institute has said that the prize once received cannot be transferred, shared or revoked.