{"id":306489,"date":"2025-11-03T12:00:00","date_gmt":"2025-11-03T12:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/?p=306489"},"modified":"2025-10-31T06:15:35","modified_gmt":"2025-10-31T06:15:35","slug":"western-media-use-peace-prize-to-fuel-war-propaganda","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/2025\/11\/western-media-use-peace-prize-to-fuel-war-propaganda\/","title":{"rendered":"Western Media Use \u2018Peace\u2019 Prize to Fuel War Propaganda"},"content":{"rendered":"

23 Oct 2025\u00a0<\/em>–\u00a0The awarding of the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize to Venezuelan far-right leader Mar\u00eda Corina Machado took nearly everyone by surprise (with the exception of insiders who apparently used advance knowledge to profit on betting markets\u2014New York Times<\/b>, 10\/10\/25<\/a>).<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

The Nobel Committee justified the award<\/a> on the basis of Machado\u2019s \u201ctireless work promoting democratic rights\u201d and \u201cher struggle to achieve a just and peaceful transition from dictatorship to democracy.\u201d However, Machado\u2019s track record paints a very different picture (Sovereign Media<\/b>, 10\/11\/25<\/a>; Venezuelanalysis<\/b>, 7\/8\/24<\/a>).<\/p>\n

Rather than scrutinize the opposition politician\u2019s credentials, the media establishment seized the opportunity to whitewash the most unpeaceful elements in her background in order to advance its cynical pro\u2013regime change agenda targeting Venezuela\u2019s socialist government (FAIR.org<\/b>, 2\/12\/25<\/a>, 1\/11\/23<\/a>, 6\/13\/22<\/a>, 4\/15\/20<\/a>). Not coincidentally, Machado\u2019s award coincided with an escalation of US military threats against Venezuela, meaning that corporate pundits used a \u201cpeace\u201d prize as a platform for war propaganda.<\/p>\n

Whitewashed profiles<\/b><\/h3>\n
\"NYT:<\/p>\n

The New York Times<\/strong> (10\/16\/25<\/a>) was one of the few outlets to acknowledge the tension between the Nobel Committee presenting Machado as a supporter of a \u201cpeaceful transition\u201d in Venezuela and her \u201ccalls for a military insurrection and unconditional support for President Trump\u2019s military strikes\u201d against Venezuelan boats.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

The Nobel Prize meant corporate outlets had to give their readers an idea of Machado\u2019s political trajectory. And though some had profile pieces (Reuters<\/b>, 10\/10\/25<\/a>; New York Times<\/b>, 10\/10\/25<\/a>), there was a concerted effort to conceal the most unsavory elements. The Financial Times<\/b> (10\/10\/25<\/a>) euphemistically stated that Machado \u201center[ed] politics in opposition to Hugo Ch\u00e1vez\u201d\u2014president of Venezuela from 1999 through 2013\u2014while the Guardian <\/b>(10\/10\/25<\/a>) summed up that she has been \u201cinvolved in politics for more than two decades.\u201d<\/p>\n

No establishment outlet mentioned Machado\u2019s first relevant political action: supporting the short-lived April 2002 coup against the Ch\u00e1vez government, and signing<\/a> the infamous \u201cCarmona Decree.\u201d In one fell swoop, this decree did away with all democratically elected institutions, annulled the 1999 Constitution, and established a de facto dictatorship headed by the leader of Venezuela\u2019s corporate business lobby. Machado later denied<\/a> signing the decree, though her name appeared on a list<\/a> published by Venezuelan newspaper El Nacional<\/b>.<\/p>\n

Looking past the undemocratic debut, establishment journalists instead started the story with the mid-2002 creation of S\u00famate, calling it an NGO dedicated to election monitoring or transparency (Bloomberg<\/b>, 10\/10\/25<\/a>; Washington Post<\/b>, 10\/10\/25<\/a>; Reuters<\/b>, 10\/10\/25<\/a>; New York Times<\/b>, 10\/10\/25<\/a>). Yet they did not mention that this alleged quest to safeguard democracy was funded by the US, or that the opposition made unfounded fraud claims after failing to unseat Ch\u00e1vez in a 2004 recall referendum (Venezuelanalysis<\/b>, 8\/21\/04<\/a>, 9\/9\/04<\/a>).<\/p>\n

Machado\u2019s second act was also the antithesis of peace and democracy, as the opposition politician led the 2014 \u201cLa Salida\u201d<\/a> (\u201cThe Exit\u201d) campaign of street violence to overthrow the Nicol\u00e1s Maduro administration, leaving dozens dead. That same year, in order to denounce the Venezuelan government, she acted as an \u201calternate ambassador\u201d for Panama at a meeting of the Organization of American States (BBC<\/b>, 3\/25\/15<\/a>). The stunt led to Machado losing her parliamentary seat.<\/p>\n

Yet instead of scrutinizing the new laureate\u2019s less-than-peaceful actions, corporate outlets chose to ignore or misrepresent them as \u201cdenouncing the regime\u2019s abuses\u201d (Washington Post<\/b>, 10\/10\/25<\/a>), \u201cparticipating in anti-regime protests\u201d (New York Times<\/b>, 10\/10\/25<\/a>) or \u201callegations she\u2019d tried to foment a coup\u201d (Bloomberg<\/b>, 10\/10\/25<\/a>). Only the Associated Press<\/b> (10\/10\/25<\/a>) offered a minimal concession that the Machado-led \u201canti-government protests\u2026at times turned violent.\u201d<\/p>\n

Another key aspect of the opposition operator\u2019s political career has been outspoken advocacy<\/a> for US sanctions, which have caused economic devastation<\/a> and led to tens of thousands of deaths (CEPR, 4\/25\/19<\/a>). But Western media ignored Machado\u2019s lobbying for collective punishment of the Venezuelan people\u2014with the New York Times<\/b> (10\/16\/25<\/a>) a notable exception.<\/p>\n

The US-backed figure has also made no secret of her plans to repress her political opponents. Machado is on the record making thinly veiled threats to \u201ceradicate<\/a> socialism,\u201d and pledging to \u201cneutralize<\/a>\u201d destabilizing groups should she eventually take power. Factoring in the Venezuelan far right\u2019s history of racist violence (Venezuelanalysis<\/b>, 3\/28\/14<\/a>, 7\/30\/17<\/a>), it is not unreasonable to predict a dirty war against Chavistas if Machado ever reached Miraflores.<\/p>\n

The company you keep<\/b><\/h3>\n
\"Reuters:<\/p>\n

Reuters<\/strong> (10\/17\/25<\/a>) was the only major outlet to highlight Machado\u2019s support for the genocidal<\/a> Israeli government.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

The reporting on the Nobel Peace Prize plainly described Machado as belonging to the Venezuelan opposition, but few outlets bothered to disclose her political views, apart from euphemistically labeling her a \u201cconservative\u201d (New York Times<\/b>, 10\/10\/25<\/a>; Guardian<\/b>, 10\/10\/25<\/a>) or a supporter of \u201ceconomic liberalism\u201d (New York Times<\/b>, 10\/16\/25<\/a>; Reuters<\/b>, 10\/10\/25<\/a>).<\/p>\n

Machado has heaped praise on far-right former presidents \u00c1lvaro Uribe<\/a> of Colombia, who was responsible<\/a> for serious human rights violations, and Brazil\u2019s Jair Bolsonaro<\/a>, who tried to foment a coup<\/a>.<\/p>\n

In February, Machado sent a video message<\/a> during a \u201cPatriots for Europe\u201d summit, calling for far-right leaders\u2019 support and openly referring to them as \u201callies.\u201d The high-profile gathering featured neo-fascist parties like Spain\u2019s Vox, Italy\u2019s Lega and France\u2019s Rassemblement National (RN). The same media establishment that paints the likes of Hungary\u2019s Viktor Orban<\/a> as a threat to democracy (Guardian<\/b>, 2\/7\/25<\/a>; NPR<\/b>, 4\/22\/25<\/a>) chose to ignore Machado\u2019s quite open alignment with his politics.<\/p>\n

But more damning is the complete erasure of Machado\u2019s outspoken support for Israel, even amidst the recent genocide. Venezuela\u2019s far-right leader has repeatedly<\/a> praised<\/a> Israel\u2019s defense of \u201cWestern values\u201d and \u201cfreedom,\u201d while her party established an alliance<\/a> with Benjamin Netanyahu\u2019s Likud in 2020. In 2018, Machado penned a letter<\/a> to the Israeli prime minister, asking him to lead a foreign intervention to \u201cdismantle the criminal Venezuelan regime.\u201d<\/p>\n

At a time when the US\/Israeli genocide in Palestine has sparked outrage around the world, no corporate outlet found it relevant to mention that this year\u2019s \u201cpeace\u201d laureate did not utter a single word of condemnation. On the contrary, according<\/a> to Netanyahu himself, Machado told the prime minister she \u201cappreciates\u201d his \u201cresolute\u201d actions in a recent congratulatory phone call. Unsurprisingly, only Reuters<\/b> (10\/17\/25<\/a>) briefly reported on the Nobel laureate\u2019s war criminal ally.<\/p>\n

Beating the war drums<\/b><\/h3>\n
\"Sovereign<\/p>\n

Sovereign Media<\/strong> (10\/11\/25<\/a>) noted Machado\u2019s support for \u201csanctions that have caused tens of thousands of deaths since 2017\u201d and \u201con-the-record requests for a foreign military intervention.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

The media establishment\u2019s careful whitewashing of Machado\u2019s undemocratic past and genocidal allies is particularly damning, given the present context of a US military buildup and overt threats against Venezuela. One of the US-backed politician\u2019s most persistent<\/a> habits has been calling for a foreign intervention<\/a> against her country (Sovereign Media<\/b>, 10\/11\/25<\/a>).<\/p>\n

In the wake of her peace prize, Machado has wasted no time in lobbying for violent regime change. In a BBC<\/b> interview (10\/11\/25<\/a>), she argued that Venezuela needs to be \u201cliberated\u201d via a \u201ccoordination of internal and external forces,\u201d an expression she also used in an interview with El Pa\u00eds<\/b> (10\/10\/25<\/a>).<\/p>\n

Borrowing a page from US administration\u2019s book of redefining concepts such as \u201cimminent threat<\/a>\u201d or \u201ccivilian<\/a>,\u201d Machado bombastically claimed that the Maduro government \u201chas declared a war\u201d against the Venezuelan people, and urged Trump to help her side \u201cwin\u201d this war (BBC<\/b>, 10\/11\/25<\/a>; Infobae<\/b>, 10\/11\/25<\/a>; CNN<\/b>, 10\/15\/25<\/a>). The opposition leader has latched onto the administration\u2019s \u201cnarcoterrorism\u201d fairy tale that has been debunked over the years (FAIR.org<\/b>, 9\/24\/19<\/a>; Venezuelanalysis<\/b>, 9\/2\/25<\/a>), just like she supported the White House\u2019s Tren de Aragua narrative<\/a>, even if it meant a gruesome crackdown against Venezuelan migrants.<\/p>\n

Machado has gone as far as to cheerlead the Trump administration extrajudicially executing her fellow citizens, arguing that the lethal US strikes in the Caribbean, which have killed at least 30 people, are \u201csaving lives, not only Venezuelan lives, but also life of American people\u201d (Daily Beast<\/b>, 10\/10\/25<\/a>).<\/p>\n

But it is not just Machado using her new platform to promote US military intervention. The Washington Post<\/b> editorial board (10\/10\/25<\/a>) openly expressed that US interests would be \u201cbetter served\u201d with a \u201creliable American partner\u201d like Machado. True to form, the Wall Street Journal<\/b> (10\/10\/25<\/a>, 10\/12\/25<\/a>) also used Machado\u2019s award to double down on calls for Trump to bomb Venezuela in the name of \u201cfreedom\u201d and \u201cdemocracy.\u201d<\/p>\n

The warmonger lineup was complete with the New York Times<\/b>\u2019 Bret Stephens<\/a> (10\/10\/25<\/a>), who never needs excuses to endorse the murder of Venezuelans in the name of US interests (FAIR.org<\/b>, 2\/12\/25<\/a>). In this case, Stephens claimed that regime change is the only option to address the \u201ccatastrophe of Chavismo,\u201d even if it means \u201cfull-scale military confrontation.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Nobel Peace Prize has long lost<\/a> any credibility<\/a> when it comes to upholding actual peace. With Machado\u2019s award, it followed a recent tradition of aligning itself with Western foreign policy. And even more predictable was the corporate media seizing the opportunity to advance its war and regime-change propaganda against Venezuela.<\/p>\n

______________________________________________<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Ricardo Vaz is a political analyst and editor at <\/em>Venezuelanalysis.<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Go to Original – fair.org<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

26 Oct 2025 – The Nobel Peace Prize has long lost any credibility. With Mar\u00eda Corina Machado\u2019s award, it followed a tradition of aligning with Western foreign policy. And more predictable was the corporate media advancing its war and regime-change propaganda against Venezuela.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":306491,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[62],"tags":[2314,550,1855,1074,1190,70,557,1365],"class_list":["post-306489","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-media","tag-corporate-media","tag-corruption","tag-mainstream-media-msm","tag-nobel-peace-prize","tag-regime-change","tag-usa","tag-venezuela","tag-war-journalism"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/306489","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=306489"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/306489\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":306492,"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/306489\/revisions\/306492"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/306491"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=306489"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=306489"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.transcend.org\/tms\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=306489"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}