Lula hesitates to talk about the Nobel to María Corina; Amorim says the award has become ‘political’

The Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva government hesitated to make an official statement this Friday, the 10th, about the Nobel Peace Prize awarded to the leader of the opposition in Venezuela, who lives in hiding under threats from the dictator Nicolás Maduro, a former political ally of the Brazilian president.

Although he participated in a public ceremony, the president did not address the issue. Throughout the day, the Presidency of the Republic and Itamaraty avoided confirming whether or not they would publish any comments.

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In previous years, the Brazilian government did not maintain a standard practice regarding those awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. But at least four times it commented on the winners, with press releases released by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

• 2024 – Nobel Peace Prize to the Japanese organization Nihon Hidankyo
• 2017 – Nobel Peace Prize to the non-governmental organization ICAN
• 2016 – Nobel Peace Prize to President of Colombia Juan Manuel Santos
• 2015 – Nobel Peace Prize to the Tunisian National Dialogue Quartet

To the EstadãoAmbassador Celso Amorim, special advisor to the Presidency of the Republic, stated that the award adopted a political bias and that what is worrying is what the practical consequence of the award will be. There are fears that the Nobel Prize could encourage an invasion of Venezuela. He understands that the vision of the award is still very “European” and “distant” from the Venezuelan reality on the ground.

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“I do not question the Nobel Prize in relation to her personal and moral qualities. For Brazil, what is important is the impact that this may eventually have on the issue of pacification and reconciliation in Venezuela”, stated Amorim. “There are people speculating the most negative, that this is preparation for an attack. It will be terrible if that is the case. I admit an optimistic side, that this inspires people to really look for peaceful ways, of conciliation and dialogue. Only time will tell if the impact was positive or negative. It is a totally political thing, without a doubt.”

In Planalto, there is more than one voice against the Brazilian government’s eventual pronouncement on the Nobel Prize for Corina. One of them is that of former chancellor Celso Amorim.

Amorim also said that he agrees with the content of a reaction from a member of the Trump administration: “I think he was right. Priority was given to the political issue.”

Amorim was referring to Steven Cheung, White House Communications Director and assistant to the president. He was one of the members of the Trump administration, which was seeking the award, to express disagreement on social media.

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“President Trump will continue making peace deals, ending wars and saving lives. He has the heart of a humanitarian, and there will never be anyone like him, capable of moving mountains with the force of his will. The Nobel Committee has proven that they put politics above peace,” wrote Steven Cheung in X.

“The Nobel Prize died years ago,” said the special envoy for Special Missions, Richard Grenell, who led negotiations on Trump’s behalf in Brazil and Venezuela.

O Estadão also heard from four members of the Lula government, who spoke on condition of anonymity. Amorim and other diplomats have reservations about Corina Machado’s political activities and are skeptical about the chances of an official government demonstration.

At Itamaraty, a diplomat highlighted that the gesture in favor of María Corina could upset Maduro’s government and bring more noise at a time of crisis with the PT member’s former ally, whom he has helped to rehabilitate since 2023.

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Lula and the Chavista dictator have not spoken since the exchange of barbs triggered by the PT member’s refusal to recognize Maduro’s alleged re-election. Lula demanded in vain proof of the dictator’s supposed victory in July 2024 – never delivered – in the face of signs of fraud.

However, the PT member did not want to break completely. Governments maintain channels of diplomatic dialogue, with meetings between foreign ministers recurring.

An ambassador said the Nobel selection did not please either side and angered the White House.

Another stated that Corina “has been enthusiastic about recent US actions in the Caribbean and echoed certain rhetoric in favor of intervention to overthrow the regime, which we do not consider contributes to the stability of the region and to the effective overcoming of Venezuelan problems, which require more dialogue and not intransigence of positions”.