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.

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*Human rights defender

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