Friday, October 10, 2025, seemed like a great day in history. Donald Trump did not win the Nobel Peace Prize he so coveted and did not deserve. Finally, a prestigious international organization stood up to him, despite his not-so-veiled threats and his endorsements from other notorious bullies, like Putin, Netanyahu, and Alexander Lukashenko, and from countries with totalitarian/authoritarian leadership, namely Pakastan, Rwanda, Azerbaijan and Cambodia. Instead, María Corina Machado, a woman from Venezuela, and the head of that country’s opposition party, Vente Venezuela, had won the Prize.
This seemed good on so many levels, but I had to admit that prior to Friday, I knew almost nothing about Machado or the current political situation in Venezuela — minus, of course, the bits that have been at the top of the news feed — the extrajudicial bombings of supposed narcoterrorist boats off the coast of Venezuela, and the scandals surrounding Nicolás Maduro, Venezuela’s authoritarian leader, who is well into his third term as president after an election that was considered fraudulent by the United States, the EU, and most of the rest of Latin America.
And so I began digging into every news article and video I could get my hands on. I started with a long Wikipedia article on her career, clicked through their extensive bibliography, then rounded out my research with a scan of about a hundred social media posts. It was all very interesting. There were cracks, and not small ones, which led me to wonder how, exactly, Machado had come to be the person selected for the Peace Prize. Of course, I also wondered how Kissinger won his award back in 1973.
Before going too far down that rabbit hole, however, I shot out a post to all my social media buddies with The Daily Beast’s picture of Trump pouting and a link to their article: “Trump’s Frenzied Nobel Peace Prize Demands Get Brutal Snub.” I had such an overwhelming need to gloat that I had flushed my usual due diligence down the toilet. As a result, I did not dig, and therefore, had not confirmed that Machado’s winning the Nobel was a good thing. Within the hour, I was hugely regretting having sent the post. I wasn’t liking this Machado person. Not one bit.
It would seem that most of my left-of-center friends were not so much elated about Machado, as they were thrilled that Trump got snubbed. They weren’t celebrating her win, they were celebrating his loss, and so my post was a big hit, at least for the first few hours it was up. But then some pushback dribbled in — and surprisingly not from MAGA folks. Nope — the criticism was from my favorite left-of-center peeps, the ones who had done their due diligence.
But then there was that fabulous announcement by Jørgen Watne Frydnes, the chair of the Norwegian Nobel Committee. He could not have been clearer regarding Trump’s lack of qualifications for the award, though he never mentioned his name out loud. And he was passionate about Machado, so much so, I began to think the skeptics were wrong, or at least misinformed.
Regardless, I think we all loved this:
Frydnes emphasized that the 2025 award to Machado was a message to authoritarian leadership — that the Committee recognizes individuals who defend freedom. He pointed to a global decline in democracy and an increase in regimes using violence to attain power, emphasizing that democracies rely on those who speak out with courage and determination. While Frydnes’ remarks are obviously open to interpretation, many considered them a clarification as to why the award had not gone to Trump.
Then, almost immediately after the Peace Prize recipient had been announced, Stephen Cheung, White House Communications Director, sent out this post from his official X account:
The quote of note from the White House: “The Nobel Committee proved they place politics over peace.” Alrighty, then. Not exactly the heartfelt, polite congratulations one might expect to be extended to the winner of an international award for peace. The White House was turning its nose up at María Corina Machado.
After reading Cheung’s snarky response, Machado jumped on a call with Trump, the gist of which she refused to divulge to the press, but after which she posted this on X:
The quote of note from this post: “I dedicate this prize to the suffering people of Venezuela and to President Trump for his decisive support of our cause!” President Trump. Decisive support. Exclamation mark. Marchado doesn’t actually give Trump her award, but she lets him masturbate on it. Yuck! Anyone else feeling sick? I’m thinking — should I delete my post? Where was that Zofran I’d squirreled away after my surgery?
One can only speculate as to what transpired during that call between Machado and Trump. I’m imagining Machado apologizing profusely for having received the Nobel (and for existing, and for not being White or a man), and then proclaiming that the award should clearly have gone to her dear friend, Donald, who’d ended eight (8) wars. Then, I envision Donald agreeing with her wholeheartedly, taking a slug of his Diet Coke, and ending with the thought: “Life is not fair; I’ve gotten used to it.”
As we know, no one is more well-versed on the subject of unfairness than 47. He could talk on this subject all day, especially after the caffeine kicks in.
But the pity party did not end that afternoon, when Trump and Machado hung up their phones. Nope. Additional groveling ensued, on the part of Machado, accompanied by a plea for Trump to continue supporting her various “democracy-related” causes. Hell, the United States had provided over two decades of support for Machado, her voter rights group, Súmate, and now her opposition party, Vente Venezuela. Why stop now?
After that announcement of her prize last Friday, it seemed Machado’s ambitions were finally coming to fruition. The Nobel Peace Prize — a huge feather in her cap, the award giving her credibility on an international scale. But all of this notoriety — it put pressure on her friends, Trump and Netanyahu, and many others — it was time to quit dicking around and take her seriously, to carve out a path for Vente Venezuela and Machado, through military force, sanctions and whatever else was needed. She was going to fill Nicolás Maduro’s shoes, then fill their pockets with gold.
And preferably, all of this could take place without an election, am I right? Venezuela needed time to sort things out, Machado had asserted, and she had the plan to do that properly. This plan for her ascendance she couched as a “transition to democracy.” Her words. An excerpt from her recent interview with Ayesha Rascoe on NPR:
“Well, first of all, I want to be very clear with this. Regime change was already mandated by the Venezuelan people on July 28, 2024. What we’re talking about is a transition to democracy. And this is a very important point because the narrative of the regime right now is that if Maduro goes, chaos will come. That’s absolutely false. We are ready, and we will handle a peaceful, smooth transition to democracy that will make millions of Venezuela that had been forced to flee come immediately back to build their country.” - Maria Marchado, 10/15/25
You heard that right: not a democracy, but a “transition to democracy” — which would be led by the well-organized “We” — the Vente Venezuela party, with the level-headed Machado at its helm. And it was understood, that her supporters, the right-wing groups that always seemed to have her back, would be well rewarded for their efforts:
“I have no doubt that President Trump has been clear in his message regarding the national security of the United States and the security of the Americas as a whole. And this is a win-win situation because - think of this - we will create a security shield in the heart of our continent. We will push out Iranians and Russians and terrorist groups, but also we will open huge opportunities for business and investment. Venezuela is unique in terms of our natural endowments.” - Maria Marchado, 10/15/25
Marchado’s carefully thought-out plan (though vague on specifics) had previously been set forth in June of 2025 at a glitzy gathering for the Americas Society/Council of the Americas which took place in a gilded mansion in Manhattan. Perfect setting for Venezuela’s Gilded Age, which seems suspiciously similar in design to Trump’s vision for our country. Yikes.
This “nonpartisan” organization is all about policies that align with conservative movements, and that espouse pro-business interests. That night, the AS/COA honored Machado with their Gold Medal for her “extraordinary leadership and enduring contributions to the cause of freedom and democracy.” In a discussion with members and journalists, Machado and her economic team, “led by development economist Dr. Sary Levy, debuted a 15-year, $1.7 trillion growth strategy projected to triple the country’s GDP if implemented. ‘Under a democratic and market-driven model, Venezuela is set for a complete transition from collapse to boom,’” claimed economist Levy, who is not-surprisingly employed by Florida International University, an entity closely aligned with the far-right political sphere (despite claims of neutrality) — an institution Ron DeSantis is proud to claim as part of his legacy as governor. More great people on Machado’s dance card.
The point here: Machado, like Maduro, seems to be hanging out with bad guys. This is, of course, just my big fat opinion.
Now let’s take a peek at some of the not-so-peaceful and not-so-democratic stuff Maria Carina Machado has done over the course of her 25+ years in the political arena, as beautifully detailed by Michelle Ellner in her Common Dreams piece: “‘Peace’ Has No Meaning When Right-Wingers Like Maria Corina Machado Win the Nobel Prize.” Ellner makes these important points:
• Machado campaigned for international sanctions against Venezuela, which seriously harmed Venezuelans, and created a humanitarian crisis.
• Machado has solidified support from primarily far-right politicians and organizations, like Donald Trump, Benjamin Netanyahu and Jair Bolsonaro, to name but a few.
• Machado is seen as an elitist in Venezuela. She is the eldest daughter of a wealthy family, who attended boarding school in Massachusetts, got degrees in engineering and finance and went on to work for the family business, Sivensa, a large steel manufacturer. This company was expropriated by President Hugo Chávez in 2010, along with many other privately-owned companies. Know that at some level, Machado is likely exacting revenge.
• Machado has encouraged and applauded U.S. military buildup in the Caribbean and the extrajudicial lethal attacks on supposed Venezuelan narcoterrorist boats — in essence condoning the absence of due process for those on board. Dozens have been killed and no documentation proving the existence of narcoterrorists has been presented to date.
• Machado embraces the use of military force on Venezuelan soil — basically whatever it takes to unseat Maduro, she’s down for it. Violence included.
• It has been alleged, and credibly, that Machado was involved in the 2002 coup that overthrew, if but briefly, Hugo Chávez, who had handily and properly won the election. Is that pro-democracy? Really?
• Machado embraces neoliberal policies, i.e. current conservative, and right-wing thinking, and is looking to privatize state-owned natural resources, namely minerals and oil. She is offering up her nation’s riches as a reward for those who help oust Maduro, which in turn will lead to her being in power.
• Machado is closely tied to conservative political movements in the U.S. and Europe, many of which espouse facism, xenophobia, racism, anti-islamism, etc.
For more details on the Iron Lady’s life and career, check out Al Jazeera’s article: “Who is Maria Corina Machado, 2025 winner of the Nobel Peace Prize?”
So where is all this Maria Corina Machado stuff heading?
Despite their shared proclivity for corruption, Trump never much liked Nicolás Maduro. There are no pics of them being chummy, like those that circulate of Trump and Epstein. Perhaps Trump felt upstaged by Maduro’s flashy style and thick head of hair, and his having his large hands in two well-stocked cookie jars — the narco-terrorists jar and that of the state-owned oil company, Petróleos de Venezuela. Impressive, surely, to someone who takes great pride in his own self-dealing.
You’d think a love of graft could unite these two guys, but as we all know, Trump is never one to be outdone. This guy had to go.
Or, perhaps, Trump just couldn’t get it up for a venecos basuras, or for an autocrat with socialist roots (or for E. Jean Carroll, for that matter). Trump’s type? Underage girls and far-right autocrats like Viktor Orban, Vladimir Putin, and Kim Jong Un. Neither E. Jean Carroll nor Nicolás Maduro checked off Trump’s required boxes (fake tits, fealty and the like), which is why they’ve never been seen in any of those Trump videos with awkwardly long handshakes and pinched facial expressions.
As luck (or stupidity) would have it, Trump was unsuccessful in pushing Maduro out of power during his first term. Why, you may ask, had he even thought to pursue this endeavor in the first place, especially when his policy is to avoid “endless wars?” It’s a bit of a mystery, and the dubious excuses put forth by Trump’s various press secretaries and communications directors are not convincing. They point to the 2018 Venezuelan presidential election results that were deemed fraudulent, they accuse Maduro of mismanaging the Venezuelan economy and committing human rights abuses, and they’ve determined that drug cartels are running the show. In short, Maduro’s regime is undermining democracy. It seems Maduro and Trump have a lot in common.
Yes, all of those things were/are happening in Venezuela, but on other occasions, with other totalitarian governments, Trump and the GOP thought nothing of doing business with the bad guys. Or, at a minimum, they just turned a blind eye to their transgressions. Netanyahu, case in point. Maduro, was really just another garden-variety bad guy, but at least he’d generously offered to give Trump the keys to his castle, as detailed in the New York Times piece from October 10: “Venezuela’s Maduro Offered the U.S. His Nation’s Riches to Avoid Conflict.”. Why didn’t Trump take the bait? Maduro’s offers seemed like such a great deal:
“Under a deal discussed between a senior U.S. official and Mr. Maduro’s top aides, the Venezuelan strongman offered to open up all existing and future oil and gold projects to American companies, give preferential contracts to American businesses, reverse the flow of Venezuelan oil exports from China to the United States, and slash his country’s energy and mining contracts with Chinese, Iranian and Russian firms.” - NY Times, 10/10/25
And when, exactly, did Maduro’s misdeeds become so great that they warranted the U.S. taking an aggressive stance against his government, when only 6500 miles away, in Gaza, genocide had been taking place, yet that was hardly a blip on the White House’s radar: 640,000+ people facing catastrophic levels of hunger, 68,172 Palestinians and 1,983 Israelis dead — and none of this was ever mentioned (minus the Israeli losses) until last week’s ceasefire. Trump, and Biden, for that matter, were extremely slow to respond to the dire conditions in the Gaza Strip, even after all of the violence and destruction that had taken place. Then, only a few days into the ceasefire, while feelings were extremely raw, Trump was calling for Israel’s President, Isaac Herzog, to pardon Netanyahu — one of the men for whom the International Criminal Court had issued arrest warrants for war crimes and crimes against humanity (November, 2024).
One has to wonder what kind of deal was struck behind closed doors between Trump and Netanyahu for him to broker this peace deal and instantly request forgiveness for someone whom much of the civilized world considered a war criminal.
Then, I remembered the wildly inappropriate video Trump posted on Truth Social in February of 2025:
There is no doubt that Trump and crew had been eyeing all of that destruction in Gaza and thinking, “Hey, they’ve already leveled the place for us, thank you very much — maybe we could take over the region and rebuild it with Trump resorts and golf courses — you know, create a Riviera of the Middle East!” Envision that: throngs of tourists flocking to the Gaza Strip to sunbathe on pristine beaches where once thousands of Palestinians were killed. Yeah, maybe not, unless you are a heartless MAGA.
Trump’s concept for “owning” and transforming the Gaza Strip was titled “The Gaza Reconstitution, Economic Acceleration and Transformation (GREAT) Plan,” the details of which were published in the Washington Post on 9/2/25. The depravity of this business concept is beyond compare with its Elon Musk Smart Manufacturing Zone, the American Data Safe Heaven and the Gaza Trump Riviera & Islands. One can not help but think that perhaps, just maybe, the entire Israel-Hamas War was manufactured for the very purpose of realizing this GREAT Plan — the demolition and demise of both the structures and people of Gaza being its first phase. In its place would rise a godly, prosperous city.
At this point, we must accept that every “peace plan” Trump is working on will likely resemble the GREAT Plan for Gaza. And each plan will include a wee bite for the United States, a fork full for Trump’s cronies and the biggest slice of pie for the Trump Family Syndicate. Mark my words.
Now back to that issue of Venezuela and Maduro. Might this not be another example of the vultures scavenging on carrion? Venezuela, in its much weakened state, could be the perfect business opportunity for the Trump clan. It has the world’s largest oil reserves, and huge mineral deposits, both of which have been poorly managed by the Maduro government. Now imagine Trump having the upper hand on the very natural resources that could change the balance of economic power between the U.S. and China. Quick! Grab your coffee cup before it slides off the table! I can feel the earth shifting on its axis.
There is no way, considering Trump’s callous disregard for life, except in the case of Charlie Kirk, that he is motivated by concern for Venezuela’s political situation or its people. No. Way. That would be so out of character as to be laughable. Venezuela was meant to be Trump’s destiny. It was a Golden Ticket that sparkled in the sun the day María Corina Machado won the Nobel Peace Prize. Trump’s rapture had arrived — Machado was the answer, not to Venezuela’s problems, but to Trump’s dreams.
Machado was offering Trump the bounty of her native land, to do with as he pleased, without government restrictions, in a “democratic” society with open markets and without all of that pesky political chaos and unpredictability that would be part of any deal with Maduros. Maduros had already demonstrated he was not going to cooperate unless threatened by military force; this had became abundantly clear over the last year and it was determined by the Trump administration that Maduro was the head of The Cartel of the Suns, a group of high-ranking officials who were using Venezuelan government institutions to traffic drugs. Of course, this spin would make the whole coup-in-progress more palatable to the evangelical right, am I right?
Regardless of the veracity of this particular claim, it is clear that no U.S. investments would be secure in Maduro’s totalitarian state, especially one this on edge — any investments would carry substantial economic and legal risks because of the unpredictability inherent in a system lacking rule of law and government oversight. With Maduro in power, U.S. investments would be fundamentally insecure. In essence, Maduro’s deal was not really a deal.
But Machado, ah yes, she was different. She had a polished plan, compelling videos and a great pitch deck. And she had the backing of all the best right-wing leaders and organizations — all of Trump’s favorites. Most notably, she had aligned herself with the Patriots of Europe, renowned for their fascist, racist ranks. Machado, headlined their rally earlier this year, her video message played as a prelude to speeches by extreme right-wing Dutch politician, Geert Wilders and France’s far-right leader, Marine Le Pen. All speakers harped on and on about the new “Reconquista,” — popularly known as the Make Europe Great Again movement, which is driven by ultra-nationalism, xenophobia, Islamophobia, antisemitism, and neo-fascism. What a fine stew that is. Yum!
Machado’s Vente Venezuela party had also entered into a formal, signed alliance with Israel’s Likud Party, the most right-wing party in Israel’s history (Netanyahu’s boys), which was behind the Gaza genocide. Machado is staunchly pro-Israel, and has never spoken out about the atrocities of Israel’s Operation Iron Swords. Additionally, in 2018, Machado had sent an open letter to Netanyahu requesting Israel’s help in overthrowing Maduro’s government. An English translation of that letter can be found here, the Spanish version below. Machado was in tight with these folks — this was a big ask.
Now back to our boy, Trump. He may have lost the Nobel Peace Prize on that historic/hysteric day, but he’d actually won so much more. That woman (aye yai yai, a woman!), who received the Nobel Peace Prize, Maria Machado, had the backing of the world, and she knew what side her bread was buttered on. Almost immediately after the Norwegian Nobel Committee made their announcement, Machado called Trump, not only to apologize for having accepted a prize that should have been his, but to broker the deal they both envisioned — that in exchange for her rise to power, backed by his military force, Trump would get access to the world’s largest oil reserves, and abundant mineral deposits. Oh yeah. And she would get to be queen.
And the maraschino cherry on the top of this sundae? Venezuela would limit Trump’s enemies’ access to these same resources. China and Xi Jinping, Trump’s nemesis, would get cut off. You know and I know, this is what went down.
The future was looking bright for our king and his Nobel Peace Prize winning queen.
Then, as promised, the escalation against Maduro began, this just three days after the back and forth between Trump and Machado. It was as if they’d seen each other from across the dancefloor, their eyes met, and they fell into each others arms.
The United States then gifted the following to Vente Venezuela and Maria, all in an effort to bring Maduro down:
• Six airstrikes were launched on supposed narcoterrorist vessels in international waters in the Caribbean Sea — 27 people killed
• There has been a substantial military build-up off the Venezuelan coast: guided-missile destroyers, F-35 jet fighters, a nuclear submarine and about 6,500 troops
• The U.S. is conducting military exercises in same region
• Trump has authorized the CIA to begin covert operations in Venezuela
• Trump is asserting the U.S. is now engaged in war with narco-terrorists
• There is a bounty of $50M on Maduro’s head
Most of Trump’s justifications for taking these actions and bringing the United States to the brink of war with Venezuela are based, as usual, on anecdotal evidence. The reality: the White House knows the overthrow of Maduro’s government will likely give them access to valuable minerals and the world’s largest oil reserves, two important cards the United States can use to leverage control of the world economy.
And yes, there is no doubt that the Van Trump Family Singers will get new performance attire that’s not make from curtains if this deal goes down.
I cannot wait to see what’s on the menu for the Norwegian Nobel Committee when their endorsement of Maria Carina Machado ignites a full-scale war and she is elevated to power without a democratic election. I believe the main course will be crow.
Whoa! I had NO idea. Guess this is Kissinger style international business as usual. It is beyond grim. And with the government shut down it’s open season for trump and his cronies to commit whatever war crimes they wish. All in the name of GREED. Arrrgggggg! Well, I’m marching today in hopes of generating a current of resistance that explodes the status quo. Who know? It may just make a difference.
Admittedly, I didn't do my due diligence and was just thrilled Trump didn't win the peace prize. Some things didn't make much sense at that time, like her phone call to Trump then post afterwards about it. As always follow the money trail to the cess pool of corruption. Thank you for your research on this and helping point me in the right direction!