Sweden and Norway's complicity in the war on Venezuela
Converting an instrument of peace into an instrument of war
Now that the US has bombed Venezuela and kidnapped its president, it’s a good time to consider Sweden and Norway’s complicity in what is happening there.
The Norwegian Nobel Committee recently awarded the Peace Prize to María Corina Machado, a Trump ally and vocal opponent of Venezuela’s current government. She has repeatedly encouraged the US to intervene in Venezuela.
Here are some of her statements (via Wikileaks):
“Military escalation may be the only way... the United States may need to intervene directly” (30 October 2025)
Machado called U.S. military strikes on civilian vessels, which have killed at least 95 people to date, “justified” and “visionary”
Machado dedicated the prize to U.S. President Trump, because he “finally has put Venezuela... in terms of a priority for the United States national security”
Historical statements including 2014 testimony before U.S. Congress where she said: “The only path left is the use of force”
Machado is now expected to receive 11 million Swedish kronor ($1.18 million USD) from Sweden’s Nobel Foundation, who handle all Nobel Prize payments.1
Following the prize announcement, Julian Assange filed a formal criminal complaint in Sweden seeking to freeze these funds. His legal team argues that awarding substantial prize money to a political figure who advocates for foreign military intervention blatantly contradicts Alfred Nobel’s 1895 will. They argue the prize has converted “an instrument of peace into an instrument of war.”
Alfred Nobel’s original intent was for the peace prize to recognize those promoting “fraternity between nations” and working toward the “abolition or reduction of standing armies.” Sweden is instead financing a figure who supports military intervention.
Presciently, Assange noted in his 17th December complaint: “Using her elevated position as the recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize, Machado may well have tipped the balance in favour of war.”
More on Assange’s criminal complaint
Official Wikileaks announcement:
WikiLeaks Founder Alleges 2025 Award to María Corina Machado Constitutes Misappropriation, Facilitation of War Crimes Under Swedish Law, Seeks Freeze of 11 million SEK ($1.18 million USD) of Pending Transfers to Machado
Max Blumenthal and Wyatt Reed cover some of the people involved:
Julian Assange: Sweden broke own laws with Nobel Prize to Venezuela’s MachadoAlastair McCready for Al Jazeera:
Julian Assange files complaint against Nobel Foundation over Machado prize
Sweden or Norway: Who is responsible for the Nobel Peace Prize?
While many people associate the Nobel Peace Prize with Sweden, the committee responsible for awarding it is Norwegian. The prize money, however, comes from the Swedish Nobel Foundation. That’s why Assange has filed a criminal complaint in Sweden.
While Alfred Nobel himself was Swedish and all the other Nobel Prizes are decided by Swedish groups, Nobel wanted Norway to choose the peace prize winner. He didn’t explain why, but according to Geir Lundestad, a historian and former director of the Nobel Institute, it’s speculated that Nobel “considered Norway a more peace-oriented and more democratic country than Sweden.”