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Political leaders in Norway have condemned the Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado’s “absurd” decision to present her Nobel peace prize medal to Donald Trump, accusing the US president of being a “classic showoff” who takes credit for other people’s work.
The Nobel laureate gave her medal to Trump at the White House on Thursday “in recognition [of] his unique commitment [to’] our freedom”. Several hours later, Trump wrote on Truth Social that Machado “presented me with her Nobel peace prize for the work I have done. Such a wonderful gesture of mutual respect.”
The Nobel Peace Center said on social media that “a medal can change owners, but the title of a Nobel peace prize laureate cannot”. The organisers of the prize, the Norwegian Nobel Committee and the Norwegian Nobel Institute, had already said that the prize “cannot be revoked, shared or transferred” when Machado first revealed her plan.
When Machado was awarded the prize in Oslo last month after making a dramatic, secret journey from Venezuela, the Nobel committee celebrated her long struggle for democracy against Nicolás Maduro’s “brutal, authoritarian state”. Since then, Trump has invaded Venezuela and removed Maduro, handing power over to Venezuela’s vice-president, Delcy Rodríguez.
Kirsti Bergstø, the leader of Norway’s Socialist Left party and its foreign policy spokesperson, said: “This is, above all, absurd. The peace prize cannot be given away.”
Trump’s recent threats to invade Greenland, she said, demonstrated why he was not a worthy recipient. “Trump will no doubt claim that he has now received it, but it cannot be transferred, and Trump’s repeated threats toward Greenland clearly demonstrate why it would have been madness to award him the prize,” Bergstø said.
Trygve Slagsvold Vedum, the leader of the Centre party, said: “Whoever has received the prize has received the prize. The fact that Trump accepted the medal says something about him as a type of person: a classic showoff who wants to adorn himself with other people’s honours and work.”
Raymond Johansen, the Labour former governing mayor of Oslo who is now secretary general of Norwegian People’s Aid, said the situation was “unbelievably embarrassing and damaging”.
He said Machado’s actions could damage the reputation of the Nobel peace prize and the Nobel committee.
“This is unbelievably embarrassing and damaging to one of the world’s most recognised and important prizes. The awarding of the prize is now so politicised and potentially dangerous that it could easily legitimise an anti-peace prize development,” he wrote on Facebook.
“I can’t believe she actually gave the prize to Trump. What on earth is the Nobel committee going to say?”
The Norwegian foreign ministry declined to comment, saying the prize was independent of the Norwegian government and referred instead to the Norwegian Nobel Committee, which did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
A photograph shared by the White House showed the US president with the gift displayed in a large gold frame alongside a text that read: “Presented as a personal symbol of gratitude on behalf of the Venezuelan people in recognition of President Trump’s principled and decisive action to secure a free Venezuela.”
