How can someone supporting Gaza genocide be given prize meant to strengthen global peace?

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat*

Awards have often been used to impose the choices of power elites or imperial interests upon people. I have never been fascinated by awards that seek to set agendas for us. Many individuals and their work become known only after receiving awards, and for some, the financial benefit attached to them is undoubtedly welcome. But recognition that comes from structures of power must always be viewed with caution.

The recent announcement of the to is a clear attempt to legitimise the being orchestrated by the American deep state. The may have acted cleverly, but in doing so, it has exposed itself. With Donald Trump’s pressure and self-promotion over the issue, it seems the committee chose to appease him rather than risk further scrutiny. In essence, this award indirectly validates Trump’s illegitimate interference in .

A peace award should celebrate those who genuinely advance human dignity and harmony. Yet Machado’s open political positions and her statements after receiving the award tell another story. She dedicated her prize to “the suffering people of Venezuela and to President Trump for his decisive support of our cause.” She declared that this recognition would help her “conquer freedom,” with the support of Trump, the United States, Latin American right-wing leaders, and “democratic nations” of the world.

Maria Corina Machado has consistently called for U.S. military intervention in Venezuela. She has supported Israel’s actions while showing no empathy for the Palestinian people. She has even urged right-wing leaders like Netanyahu to act against Venezuela, and openly advocates for the privatisation of her country’s vast natural resources.

How can someone who unreservedly supports the genocide in Gaza be given a prize meant to strengthen global peace? This award, at this time, represents encouragement, endorsement, and legitimacy for U.S.-led regime change operations in Venezuela. It is well known that such interventions are not about protecting people but about exploiting . Europe, too, seems eager to participate in this new —hence its tacit approval of this award.

We must learn not to admire individuals merely because they receive awards. In our society, people are too often introduced with adjectives linked to their awards, degrees, or global travels—as if these alone define worth or credibility. One should know a person’s work and values before forming an opinion, not rely on external validations.

Awards, ideally acknowledgments of genuine contribution, have largely been reduced to tools of agenda-setting by the global power elite. They are instruments to shape narratives and control resources under the guise of moral legitimacy. It remains to be seen how Venezuela will respond to this move and how the continuing regime change operations unfold.

---

*Human rights defender

Comments

Anonymous said…

A timely and forthright intervention. Thanks Vidya Rawat ji for this significant write up.

October 12, 2025

Urgent need to study cause of large number of natural deaths in Gulf countries

By Venkatesh Nayak* According to data tabled in Parliament in April 2018, there are 87.76 lakh (8.77 million) Indians in six Gulf countries, namely Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). While replying to an Unstarred Question (#6091) raised in the Lok Sabha, the Union Minister of State for External Affairs said, during the first half of this financial year alone (between April-September 2018), blue-collared Indian workers in these countries had remitted USD 33.47 Billion back home. Not much is known about the human cost of such earnings which swell up the country’s forex reserves quietly. My recent RTI intervention and research of proceedings in Parliament has revealed that between 2012 and mid-2018 more than 24,570 Indian Workers died in these Gulf countries. This works out to an average of more than 10 deaths per day. For every US$ 1 Billion they remitted to India during the same period there were at least 117 deaths of Indian Workers in Gulf ...

New RTI draft rules inspired by citizen-unfriendly, overtly bureaucratic approach

By Venkatesh Nayak* The Department of Personnel and Training , Government of India has invited comments on a new set of Draft Rules (available in English only) to implement The Right to Information Act, 2005 . The RTI Rules were last amended in 2012 after a long period of consultation with various stakeholders. The Government’s move to put the draft RTI Rules out for people’s comments and suggestions for change is a welcome continuation of the tradition of public consultation. Positive aspects of the Draft RTI Rules While 60-65% of the Draft RTI Rules repeat the content of the 2012 RTI Rules, some new aspects deserve appreciation as they clarify the manner of implementation of key provisions of the RTI Act. These are: Provisions for dealing with non-compliance of the orders and directives of the Central Information Commission (CIC) by public authorities- this was missing in the 2012 RTI Rules. Non-compliance is increasingly becoming a major problem- two of my non-compliance cases are...

Is India emulating west, 'using' anti-terror plank to justify state-supported violence?

Fahad Ahmad, Baljit Nagra* Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has accused India of being involved in the assassination of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, a Canadian Sikh leader, on Canadian soil. Narendra Modi’s right-wing Hindu nationalist Indian government is defiant and denies involvement. Indian officials have instead admonished Canada for being a “ safe haven ” for Sikh “terrorism,” a pejorative for Sikh self-determination .

Call to "enjoy" pilgrimage of Sabarmati beyond Ahmedabad, where river water turns black

Sabarmati at Vautha By A Representative Nagrik Sashaktikaran Manch (NSM), a Gujarat-based civil rights organization, has called upon the state's citizens to join in a "unique yatra" along the river Sabarmati, starting in Ahmedabad and ending off the Gulf of Khambhat, where the river is supposed to merge with the sea. Pointing out that in Hindu culture, rivers are equated with Mother Goddess, NSM convener Jatin Seth says, it will be a "special event of pilgrimage", because, just like Ganga, Sarbarmati possesses "special properties." "Starting at Giaspur, one can see how industries are releasing chemicals in Sabarmati, and you get a Thumbs-Up like colour of the water, and if you drink it, you are sure to be at least affected by cancer, and this way would enable you to book your ticket in the paradise. The river has a special smell, too, emanating from a black cocktail-type colour", says Seth in a statement. A village next to Sabarmati river In...

Adani Group declares it will "self-finance" Australian coal mining project: Traditional group registers fresh opposition

By A Representative The controversial Adani Group's Carmichael coal mine and rail project in Queensland, Australia, will be "100% financed" through the Group’s own resources, Adani, Mining CEO Lucas Dow has said. A South Asia Times, Melbourne, report has quoted Dow as saying in Queensland, “We have already invested $3.3 billion in Adani’s Australian businesses, which is a clear demonstration of our capacity to deliver a financing solution for the revised scope of the mine and rail project." Dow Pointing out that "the project stacks up both environmentally and financially", he added, "Today’s announcement removes any doubt as to the project stacking up financially... The Carmichael Project will deliver more than 1,500 direct jobs on the mine and rail projects during the initial ramp-up and construction phase, and will support thousands more indirect jobs, all of which will benefit regional Queensland communities.” The project faces fierce opposition ...

As 2024 draws nearer, threatening signs appear of more destructive wars

By Bharat Dogra The four years from 2020 to 2023 have been very difficult and high risk years for humanity. In the first two years there was a pandemic and such severe disruption of social and economic life that countless people have not yet recovered from its many-sided adverse impacts. In the next two years there were outbreaks of two very high-risk wars which have worldwide implications including escalation into much wider conflicts. In addition there were highly threatening signs of increasing possibility of other very destructive wars. As the year 2023 appears to be headed for ending on a very grim note, there are apprehensions about what the next year 2024 may bring, and there are several kinds of fears. However to come back to the year 2020 first, the pandemic harmed and threatened a very large number of people. No less harmful was the fear epidemic, the epidemic of increasing mental stress and the cruel disruption of the life and livelihoods particularly among the weaker s...

India ODF? Toilets considered hotspots of infections, hence people defecate in open

By Aayush Gupta* "Sanitation is more important than political freedom" -- Mahatma Gandhi It was on October 2, 2019, that Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared the completion of India's Swachh Bharat Mission with the construction of over 107 million toilets – calling India, for once and for all, "Open Defecation Free" (ODF). The announcement came 11 years ahead of the United Nations' 2030 vision.

History, culture and literature of Fatehpur, UP, from where Maulana Hasrat Mohani hailed

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat* Maulana Hasrat Mohani was a member of the Constituent Assembly and an extremely important leader of our freedom movement. Born in Unnao district of Uttar Pradesh, Hasrat Mohani's relationship with nearby district of Fatehpur is interesting and not explored much by biographers and historians. Dr Mohammad Ismail Azad Fatehpuri has written a book on Maulana Hasrat Mohani and Fatehpur. The book is in Urdu. He has just come out with another important book, 'Hindi kee Pratham Rachna: Chandayan' authored by Mulla Daud Dalmai.' During my recent visit to Fatehpur town, I had an opportunity to meet Dr Mohammad Ismail Azad Fatehpuri and recorded a conversation with him on issues of history, culture and literature of Fatehpur. Sharing this conversation here with you. Kindly click this link. --- *Human rights defender. Facebook https://www.facebook.com/vbrawat , X @freetohumanity, Skype @vbrawat

What if a Hindu male marries a Muslim female? Why is it never discussed?

By Harasankar Adhikari Is interfaith marriage in India a curse? Many incidents of interfaith marriage witness dangerous victimhood. Various public media (cinema, theatre, TV serials, and so forth) are continuously raising (will continue to raise) their voices against this discrimination. Is it not a biassed campaign? Everybody uses it to criticise Hinduism and its stringent orthodox rules of law. But if a Hindu male marries a female of Islam, then what may be the situation? It was never discussed, is being discussed, or is to be discussed. Particularly, secular politics never utters a word. Perhaps, all the wrongs are with Hinduism because of its application. Everybody always talks of liberty to Hindus. Is it not a one-sided game? There is a common tendency to support minorities. In reality, the minority or majority is a playing card. Everybody likes to play it. And they never think about it liberally. No religion permits interfaith marriage. For this reas...

Search This Blog