Washington: The White House sharply criticised the Nobel Committee on Friday after Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado was awarded the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize — a decision that came despite US President Donald Trump’s public claims that he deserved the honour.

Machado, 58, who has lived in hiding for months, received the award for her fight against dictatorship in Venezuela. She was barred by the country’s courts in 2024 from contesting the presidential election against Nicolas Maduro, who has ruled since 2013.

In a statement posted on X, White House spokesperson Steven Cheung called the decision “political,” saying, “President Trump will continue making peace deals, ending wars, and saving lives. The Nobel Committee proved they place politics over peace.”

The criticism came just days after Trump announced what he described as a major breakthrough in negotiations to end the Gaza conflict between Israel and Hamas.

Meanwhile, the Norwegian Nobel Committee said it honoured Machado for her “courageous resistance to authoritarianism,” adding that it hoped the award would strengthen efforts for a peaceful transition to democracy in Venezuela.

It remains uncertain whether Machado, the first Venezuelan and sixth Latin American to win the Peace Prize, will be able to attend the December 10 ceremony in Oslo. Past laureates prevented from attending include Andrei Sakharov, Lech Walesa, and Aung San Suu Kyi.

The UN human rights office welcomed the award, calling it a recognition of “the clear aspirations of the people of Venezuela for free and fair elections.”

The US has long supported Venezuela’s democratic opposition, but analysts noted that the award was not intended as a slight against Trump. “The committee is demonstrating its independence — it won’t be swayed by political pressure or popular figures,” said Halvard Leira of the Norwegian Institute of International Affairs.

Committee chair Joergen Watne Frydnes declined to comment on whether Trump’s Gaza initiative could make him a contender in 2026, saying only that nominations would be considered “if and when they arise.”

The 2025 Nobel Peace Prize, worth about $1.2 million, will be presented in Oslo on December 10, the anniversary of Alfred Nobel’s death.

(With Reuters inputs.)