Venezuelan opposition leader and 2025 Nobel Peace Prize winner María Corina Machado has sparked fierce debate after saying the United States should help “free” Cuba and Nicaragua in the same way she supports for Venezuela — comments that many critics see as supporting military intervention and at odds with the peace award she received.
Machado Calls for US-Led Liberation of Cuba and Nicaragua
María Corina Machado told reporters in Washington that she believes the United States has the power to help liberate countries from communism. Speaking during meetings with US lawmakers, she said, “Venezuela will be free. And once we liberate Venezuela, we will keep working, and we will have a free Cuba and a free Nicaragua… for the first time in history, we have the Americas free of communism, of dictatorship, of anarchism. This is a historic moment.”
Her comments came shortly after the United States carried out a military operation in Venezuela that resulted in the capture of President Nicolás Maduro and his wife in Caracas. US President Donald Trump reportedly confirmed that US special forces used a “secret sonic” weapon during the raid, claiming that “nobody else has it” and highlighting the advanced capabilities of the US military.
When asked whether Americans should be concerned about such weapons, Trump replied, “Well yeah … it’s something I don’t want … nobody else has it. But we have weapons nobody else knows about,” without giving specific details about the technology used.
Social Media Backlash and Accusations of Hypocrisy
The apparent support for military interventions in other nations quickly drew criticism on social media. Many users accused María Corina Machado of contradicting the core values of the Nobel Peace Prize by seeming to promote conflict rather than peace. Some netizens asked, “Is warmongering a requirement to win the Nobel Peace Prize?” Others called her a “pathetic puppet… deliberately confusing tyranny with freedom to justify further conquest of the Americas,” and mocked her remarks about Cuba and Nicaragua.
Maduro Declares Maximum Preparedness, Threatens “Republic in Arms” if Attacked
Machado’s controversial gesture of giving her Nobel medal to US President Donald Trump added fuel to the fire. She presented the Nobel Peace Prize medal to Trump at the White House as a symbolic appreciation of his support for Venezuelan freedom. Although the Nobel Committee has said the medal can be handed over, the title of Nobel laureate remains exclusively hers and cannot be transferred to Trump.
The combination of Machado’s comments and her public act with Trump sparked heated debate over her motives. Critics questioned whether someone honored for peace could so openly seem to endorse military action and align with a political leader whose own approaches have been divisive. The online backlash ranged from sarcastic quips to sharp criticism, reflecting deep disagreement over her choices and the meaning of her actions.
Criticism from Analysts and Venezuelan Citizens
María Corina Machado faced widespread criticism after endorsing US military-style interventions in Cuba and Nicaragua. Analysts warned that advocating such raids could escalate tensions in the region rather than promote peace and distract from Venezuela’s ongoing humanitarian crisis.
Her remarks came against the backdrop of strict US policies toward Cuba. During Donald Trump’s presidency, the US reinforced the economic embargo, limited trade with military-linked entities, and restricted tourism. Trump frequently criticized the Cuban government for suppressing freedoms, giving context to Machado’s call for “liberation” in the Americas.
Maduro Declares Maximum Preparedness, Threatens “Republic in Arms” if Attacked
On social media, users accused Machado of hypocrisy, questioning how a Nobel Peace Prize winner could support military action. Many mocked her gesture of giving her Nobel medal to Trump and argued her stance contradicts her decades-long advocacy for peaceful change in Venezuela.
Despite the backlash, Machado defended her position, insisting that US involvement could help remove authoritarian regimes. Still, the strong reaction shows that many, including Venezuelans, believe real progress should come from within their countries.