Political leaders in Norway have condemned the Venezuelan opposition leader MarÃa 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 RodrÃguez.
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.”
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