Nobel Peace Laureate Pérez Esquivel to Machado: Why Did You Urge the U.S. to Invade Venezuela?

Argentine activist, professor, sculptor and painter Adolfo Pérez Esquivel, winner of the 1980 Nobel Peace Prize, published an open letter to the Venezuelan far-right opposition leader María Corina Machado — who last Friday received the same honor — in which he asked: «Why did you call on the United States to invade Venezuela?».

In the text titled «De Nobel a Nobel», published Monday in the newspaper Página/12, the renowned defender of human rights and of peoples’ right to self-determination said he was «surprised» by her selection by the Norwegian Nobel Committee.

«I was surprised by your designation for the Nobel Peace Prize by the Nobel Committee», wrote Pérez Esquivel, who received the award 45 years ago for his non-violent defense of democracy and human rights in the face of Latin America’s military dictatorships, especially the regime of Jorge Rafael Videla in Argentina.

He said the award to Machado brought back memories of the struggles against military dictatorships in Latin America, especially between 1976 and 1983, when many suffered prison, torture and exile, and when thousands were disappeared, children were abducted and «death flights» took place — atrocities he himself survived.

«In 1980, the Nobel Committee granted me the Nobel Peace Prize; 45 years have passed and we continue serving the poorest, alongside Latin American peoples. I accepted that high distinction in their name — not for the prize itself, but for the commitment to shared struggles and hopes to build a new dawn. Peace is built day by day, and we must be coherent between what we say and what we do», he asserted.

«At 94, I am still a learner of life, and your social and political stance worries me. So I am sending you these reflections», he emphasized.

In the letter, he argued that the Venezuelan government, led by President Nicolás Maduro, «is a democracy with lights and shadows», and he underscored the role of former president Hugo Chávez, who, he said, set a path of freedom and sovereignty for the people and fought for continental unity.

«It was an awakening of the Patria Grande», he emphasized.

At the same time, he asserted that the United States has not only «attacked» Venezuela but also refuses to allow any country in the region to step outside its orbit and colonial dependence, treating Latin America as its «backyard». He also highlighted the more than 60-year blockade against Cuba, which he called an attack on the freedom and rights of peoples.

Pérez Esquivel to Machado: «You should know the U.S. has no allies or friends»

In one of the letter’s toughest passages addressed to Machado, he rebuked her for clinging to Washington even as it confronts her country.

«I am surprised by how tightly you cling to the United States: you should know it has no allies and no friends — only interests. The dictatorships imposed in Latin America were instruments of its drive for domination, and they destroyed lives and the social, cultural and political organization of peoples who fight for freedom and self-determination. Our peoples resist and struggle for the right to be free and sovereign, not a colony of the United States», he wrote.

On that point, he said the government of Nicolás Maduro «lives under threat» from Washington and from the «blockade», with U.S. naval forces in the Caribbean and «the danger of an invasion of your country».

«You have not said a word, or you support the interference of the great power against Venezuela. The Venezuelan people are ready to confront the threat», he warned.

Backlash over dedicating the Nobel to Donald Trump

He also criticized that, after receiving the prize, the far-right leader dedicated it to U.S. President Donald Trump. «Corina, I ask you: why did you call on the United States to invade Venezuela?», he wrote in the letter.

«Upon the announcement that you were awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, you dedicated it to Trump — an aggressor against your country — who lies and accuses Venezuela of being a narco-state», Pérez Esquivel said, comparing that accusation to George W. Bush’s false claims that Saddam Hussein had weapons of mass destruction, used as a pretext for an invasion that looted that nation and caused «thousands of victims, women and children».

«I was in Baghdad at the end of the war, at the pediatric hospital, and I witnessed the destruction and deaths caused by those who proclaim themselves defenders of freedom. The worst violence is the lie», he said.

«It troubles me that you did not dedicate the Nobel to your people but to Venezuela’s aggressor. I believe, Corina, that you must analyze and understand where you stand», the Argentine insisted, arguing that her posture makes her «another piece of U.S. colonialism».

He reminded the far-right figure that Panama was invaded by the United States, bringing death and destruction in order to capture a former ally, General Noriega.

«The invasion left 1,200 dead in Los Chorrillos. Today, the United States intends once again to seize control of the Panama Canal. It is a long list of interventions and pain across Latin America and the world. The veins of Latin America are still open, as Eduardo Galeano wrote», he stressed.

Machado must «analyze and know where you stand»

To conclude, Adolfo Pérez Esquivel urged Machado to «analyze and know where you stand», to reflect on whether she is «another piece of U.S. colonialism, subject to its interests of domination», and he stressed that, as an opponent of Maduro’s government, her stance and choices «create great uncertainty»: «You resort to the worst when you ask the United States to invade Venezuela», he added.

«Corina, as the poet says: Traveler, there is no path; the path is made by walking. Now you have the chance to work for your people and build peace — not provoke greater violence. One evil is not resolved with a greater evil; we would only have two evils and never a solution to the conflict. Open your mind and your heart to dialogue and to meeting your people; empty the jug of violence and build the peace and unity of your people so that the light of freedom and equality can enter», the letter concluded.