Por El Latino Newsroom
redaccion@latinocc.com
The White House accused the Nobel Committee of “putting politics over peace” after it awarded the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize to Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado instead of U.S. President Donald Trump, who had publicly expressed his desire to receive the honor.
The Norwegian committee recognized Machado for her “tireless efforts to promote democratic rights for the people of Venezuela,” while the Trump administration argued that the president “has done more for global peace than any current leader.”
“The Nobel Committee proved they place politics over peace,” said White House Communications Director Steven Cheung, adding that “President Trump will continue to make peace deals, end wars, and save lives.”
Despite the criticism, Trump personally called Machado to congratulate her, according to a senior White House official.
Machado later thanked him on X, writing that she dedicated the award “to the suffering people of Venezuela and to President Trump for his decisive support.”
Trump has claimed credit for brokering the Gaza ceasefire deal, announced just two days before the Nobel Prize was awarded, calling himself “the peace president.”
However, the Nobel Committee emphasized that Machado was being honored for her peaceful defense of democracy and human rights in the face of Nicolás Maduro’s authoritarian regime.
Trump received support from some international allies, including Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Russian President Vladimir Putin, both of whom suggested the Nobel Prize “has lost credibility.”
The award places Machado, who is also a far right politician, among what it seems, at least on paper, one of the most prominent defenders of freedom, while Trump remains a polarizing figure whose pursuit of global recognition continues to stir controversy at home and abroad.
VENEZUELA
This week two Venezuelan activists who fled their country after denouncing political persecution were shot and wounded Monday in northern Bogotá, in what Colombian authorities are investigating as a targeted attack.
Police identified the victims as Yendri Omar Velásquez Rodríguez, founder of the Venezuelan Observatory of LGBTQ+ Violence, and Luis Alejandro Peche Arteaga, a political consultant and former adviser to Venezuela’s National Assembly.
Both men were ambushed by two unidentified assailants after leaving a building shortly after noon.
They were taken to a hospital and are now reported to be in stable condition, according to Colombian police.
The attack has drawn sharp condemnation from human rights organizations and the Colombian government.
President Gustavo Petro denounced the shooting on X, saying: “All Venezuelan citizens who seek asylum in Colombia, regardless of their political ideas, are welcome.”
He also announced that security protections for human rights activists would be expanded.
The Colombian Ombudsman’s Office called for a thorough investigation, stating that “the Venezuelan people deserve to live in peace and democracy.”
Venezuela’s main opposition coalition, the Democratic Unitary Platform, described the shooting as “a cowardly attack on freedom and human rights.”
Velásquez Rodríguez, a prominent LGBTQ+ advocate, had previously been detained by Venezuelan authorities at Caracas’ main airport in August 2024 while en route to a human rights conference in Switzerland.
His passport was confiscated and he was held for six hours, an incident documented by the Venezuelan rights group Provea.
Peche Arteaga, meanwhile, is known for advising politicians and civic organizations and has publicly criticized the Maduro government’s persecution of dissidents.
Colombian authorities say they are reviewing surveillance footage and interviewing witnesses.
They noted there were no prior reports of threats against either man while in Colombia. However, the attack has reignited fears of transnational intimidation targeting Venezuelan exiles in the region, especially those who continue their activism abroad.
Rights advocates warn that as Venezuela’s political crisis deepens, dissidents abroad face new dangers, even in countries like Colombia, which hosts nearly three million Venezuelan migrants and refugees.
PERU
Less than a day after assuming office, Peru’s new interim president José Jerí led nationwide prison raids targeting gang leaders, signaling a tougher stance on crime following the impeachment of former president Dina Boluarte.
The 38-year-old lawyer and former president of Congress toured Ancón I maximum-security prison in Lima on Saturday, flanked by heavily armed police.
The operation uncovered smuggled cellphones, narcotics, and improvised weapons, according to the Interior Ministry.
Similar coordinated raids took place at Lurigancho, Challapalca, and El Milagro prisons across the country.
“The main enemy is on the streets, criminal gangs and organized crime,” Jerí told lawmakers during his swearing-in ceremony.
“The evil that afflicts Peru today is insecurity, and that will be our priority.”
Boluarte’s removal followed weeks of public anger over rising violence and her failure to control the country’s powerful gangs.
The final trigger came after a mass shooting at a Lima concert that left several people dead and renewed calls for a tougher government response.
Peru is facing its worst security crisis in decades.
Homicides have more than tripled since 2017, with 2,082 murders recorded in 2024, nearly half of them contract killings.
Extortion cases have also surged, from 16,000 in 2022 to more than 22,000 last year, as gangs expand their grip on small businesses and public transport networks.
Jerí, a conservative who will serve as interim president until July 2026, has vowed to restore public order and confidence in the justice system.
His hands-on participation in the raids — broadcast on national television — was seen as an attempt to project strength and contrast sharply with Boluarte’s unpopular leadership.
Political analysts say the move plays well with a public weary of both violence and political instability.
Since 2018, Peru has seen seven presidents, three impeached and two others forced to resign under corruption clouds.
“Jerí is clearly trying to assert authority early and win public trust,” said political analyst Rosa María Palacios.
“But the real challenge will be maintaining this momentum and addressing the deeper causes of insecurity — corruption, weak institutions, and poverty.”
For now, the new president’s message is simple and direct. As he declared during his visit to Ancón prison:
“We are sending a clear signal — in Peru, crime will no longer go unpunished.”
