Why did Yunus, a global icon from Bangladesh, embrace the controversial Machado, who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for 2025?
Yunus, the Nobel Peace Prize winner of 2006, and currently Chief Adviser of the Bangladesh Interim Government, decided to shower fulsome praise on a Venezuelan politician, Ms Maria Corina Machado. She was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for 2025. Bangladesh’s leading English language daily, the Daily Star, summarised the congratulatory message that Yunus sent to Machado in the following manner.
“I extend my hearty congratulations to María Corina Machado on receiving the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize for her courageous fight for democracy in her beloved Venezuela,” he said in a congratulatory message.
Machado has faced oppression with steadfast resolve, never wavering in her commitment to a freer and more just future for her country and her people, the message read.
As the Nobel Committee rightly stated: “Democracy depends on people who refuse to stay silent, who dare to step forward despite grave risk, and who remind us that freedom must never be taken for granted, but must always be defended—with words, with courage, and with determination.”
She has dared to imagine a better world and worked tirelessly to make it so, the message added.”
There is, unfortunately, a contentious and even dark side to Machado, the apparently fearless fighter for democracy in Venezuela. She happens to be a pro-Zionist, pro-Trump, far-right politician who is happy to stand shoulder to shoulder with notorious Islamophobic racists, such as Marie le Pen of France and Geertz Wilders of the Netherlands. This prompted CAIR—a leading Muslim organisation— to issue the following proclamation.
“We strongly disagree with the Nobel Prize committee’s decision to award this year’s peace prize to Maria Corina Machado, a supporter of Israel’s racist Likud Party who earlier this year delivered remarks at a conference of European fascists, including Geert Wilders and Marie Le Pen, which openly called for a new Reconquista, referencing the ethnic cleansing of Spanish Muslims and Jews in the 1500s.”
In her own region of Latin America, the reaction to her winning the award was mixed. As AA reports:
“The Nobel Peace Prize being awarded to Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado on Friday drew mixed reactions in Latin America, with some leaders offering praise, strong condemnation by others, with Mexico choosing to remain silent.”
“The announcement of the award had some pointing to her past rhetoric and actions, which were characterised as violent or supportive of foreign intervention.”
Machado’s Trumpian loyalty became evident when she dedicated her award to “the suffering people of Venezuela and to President Trump for his decisive support of our cause.” At a time when there was feverish speculation and intense lobbying for Trump to get the 2025 Nobel Prize for his ostensible role as global peace maker, Machado – the seemingly surprise winner of 2025 – made sure that Trump noted her subservience.
Making sense of what Yunus did
Given the controversy surrounding Machado, why did Yunus decide to issue such fulsome praise for the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize winner?
There are several plausible explanations, none of which absolve the need for deeper scrutiny.
- Yunus may have responded to the Nobel Committee’s framing of Machado as a champion of democracy, without delving into her broader political affiliations. His message echoed the Committee’s language almost verbatim, suggesting a reactive rather than investigative approach.
- As a Nobel laureate himself, Yunus might feel a sense of obligation to publicly acknowledge fellow recipients, especially when their award is framed around a democratic struggle. This could be part of a broader ethos of solidarity among laureates.
- The most troubling possibility is that Yunus and his advisers failed to vet Machado’s political history and affiliations. In an age of rapid information exchange, such oversight is not just naïve—it’s politically hazardous.
The broader implications
Advisers of Yunus should have flagged Machado’s controversial ties to far-right figures and her pro-Trump, pro-Likud stances—especially given the sensitivities around Islamophobia and global Muslim solidarity. With widespread condemnation of anti-Muslim rhetoric and heightened awareness of global injustices (like the situation in Gaza), praising a figure aligned with Islamophobic voices appears tone-deaf. Mexico’s silence, in response to the Nobel Peace Prize being awarded to Machado, was a strategic choice. Yunus could have followed suit, avoiding unnecessary entanglement in a polarising debate. For many in the Muslim world, Yunus’s praise may feel like a betrayal—especially when Machado’s affiliations contradict the values of pluralism and justice that Yunus himself has long championed.
Final thoughts
This episode risks tarnishing Yunus’s legacy as a global humanitarian. It also raises concerns about the credibility of the interim government he advises. Yunus’s misstep is not just personal—it’s emblematic of a broader challenge facing global leaders: how to navigate complex political landscapes without compromising ethical clarity. Silence, in some cases, is not cowardice—it’s wisdom.
Iyanatul (Yan) Islam is an Adjunct Professor at the Griffith Asia Institute, a Distinguished Fellow at the South Asian Network on Economic Modeling (SANEM), Dhaka and a former Branch Chief, ILO, Geneva.
The views expressed here are strictly personal.
