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Congress MP Shashi Tharoor described Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado’s decision to meet US President Donald Trump at the White House and present her Nobel Peace Prize medal to him as a “gold-plated collision of Venezuelan desperation and American ego”.
A fresh controversy erupted after Machado decided to present her Nobel Peace Prize medal to Trump, seeking a way for her and the opposition to determine Venezuela’s future after the US ousted longtime leader Nicolas Maduro. Notably, Machado has called Venezuela’s new leader, Delcy Rodriguez, a “communist” and said that the interim president is afraid of Trump.
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Here’s what Shashi Tharoor said
In an op-ed article for NDTV, the Congress leader said that by physically presenting the Nobel medal to Trump, Machado has “performed a piece of political theatre so brazen that it bordered on performance art”.
“It was an attempt to buy, with a gold medal and global prestige, the one thing she currently lacks: relevance in the eyes of a White House that seems increasingly ready to move on without her,” he wrote.
This refers to Trump’s full backing for Rodriguez and the sidelining of Machado as the interim leader of the oil-rich country. Notably, Trump earlier said that Machado does not have enough support among the people in her country as he chose to back Rodriguez.
Tharoor said that Machado’s move “smells of desperation-driven politics”, while Trump has “demonstrated a level of amoral ruthlessness that his critics often underestimate”. He referred to Machado’s act as “flatter the King” and Trump’s acceptance as an “Art of the Steal”.
“Machado may have handed over the gold, but in doing so, she may have also handed over her last bit of leverage. Trump, ever the deal-maker, has added another item to his extensive collection,” he wrote.
What did the Nobel Committee say?
Notably, Trump had campaigned hard for last year’s Nobel Peace Prize, incorrectly claiming he had ended eight wars after taking office, but the honour was awarded to Machado instead.
In a statement, the Norwegian Nobel Committee said that the Nobel Prize and the laureate are “inseparable”.
It said, “Even if the medal or diploma later comes into someone else’s possession, this does not alter who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize”, after Machado’s move sparked a controversy.
