“Some of its methods are not in line with our principles and values and those of our member organizations, such as the promotion of dialogue and non-violent methods,” the peace council said of this year’s laureate, Venezuelan Maria Corína Machado
The Norwegian Peace Council announced that it will not organize the traditional torchlight procession through Oslo on the day of the Nobel Peace Prize award, as it disagrees with the Venezuelan’s choice.
The entity, which brings together 17 Norwegian peace organizations and around 15,000 activists, declared that it took this decision because its members “do not feel that this year’s laureate is aligned with the fundamental values of the Norwegian Peace Council and its members”.
“It is a difficult but necessary decision. We have great respect for the Nobel Committee and the Peace Prize as an institution, but as an organization we must be faithful to our principles and the broad peace movement that we represent. We hope to celebrate the prize again in the coming years”, said the president of the Norwegian Peace Council, Eline H. Lorentzen, in a statement.
“Some of their methods are not in line with our principles and values and those of our member organizations, such as promoting dialogue and non-violent methods,” Lorentzen also told the Norwegian daily VG.
The leader of the Venezuelan opposition, María Corina Machado, was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize on October 10 of this year “for her tireless work in promoting the democratic rights of the Venezuelan people and for her struggle to achieve a fair and peaceful transition from dictatorship to democracy” in the Latin American country, according to the decision of the Norwegian Nobel Committee.
The so-called torchlight procession through the center of Oslo, to the hotel where the winner of the award is staying, is one of the highlights of the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony program, which takes place on December 10, although it is not organized by the Norwegian Nobel Institute.
Its origins date back to 1954 and it is traditionally organized by the Norwegian Peace Council, one of the most important entities for the pacification process in this Nordic country, although it has previously refused this responsibility, as in 2012, when the European Union was the winner.
The Norwegian Alliance for Venezuelan Justice, a Norwegian non-governmental organization (NGO) that works “for freedom, democracy and human rights” in Venezuela, announced that it will take over the organization of this year’s procession.
The winner of the Nobel Peace Prize is chosen by the Norwegian Nobel Committee, made up of five people appointed by the Norwegian parliament every six years, according to the correlation of power in that chamber.
Machado’s choice was supported by the main Norwegian political parties, although two of the Labor Government’s external allies, the Socialist Left Party (the fourth largest) and the Red Party (the sixth largest), were critical.
The Norwegian Nobel Institute has not yet announced whether María Corina Machado, who lives in hiding in Venezuela for security reasons, will be able to travel to Oslo to receive the prize.
