Original article: Llaves de la ciudad para Machado: Desbordes pone a Santiago al servicio de la derecha continental
In a move that positions the capital of Chile in service of continental right-wing politics, Santiago’s mayor, Mario Desbordes, plans to present the keys to the city to María Corina Machado.
The ceremony is set to take place on Thursday, March 12, following the extreme right Venezuelan opposition leader’s attendance at the swearing-in of President-elect José Antonio Kast.
This confirmation came via a statement from Machado’s official spokesperson, who revealed that she received an invitation from the Republican to join a list of political figures aligned with Washington participating in the ceremony scheduled for Wednesday, March 11, at the National Congress in Valparaíso.
As part of her itinerary in Chile, Machado is expected to visit the Consistorial Palace to receive the keys to the municipality of Santiago from the RN mayor.
According to CNN Chile, Desbordes will honor Machado with the distinction of Illustrious Visitor, aiming to recognize her supposed «struggle for a peaceful transition to democracy in Venezuela, which earned her the Nobel Peace Prize in 2025.»
The Controversial Nobel Award for Machado
It is important to note that the Nobel Prize committee’s decision to award Machado sparked a wave of criticism both in Norway and internationally, as many believe she strays far from the ideals of the award, which is given annually to individuals who have significantly advanced the conditions laid out in Alfred Nobel’s will.
“María Corina Machado is far from being the champion of peace required by Nobel criteria,” stated members of the Norwegian Peace Movement.
The group justified their objection based on what they describe as the three inseparable pillars of the award, established by Nobel: demilitarization, peace conferences, and cooperation between conflicting nations. These elements, described by the Swedish chemist, engineer, and inventor as «a wheel,» are deemed vital to his legacy.
They argued that awarding Machado contradicts the committee’s statutes, given that the far-right leader «maintains an agenda that promotes war, invades her country, and has openly supported the genocide committed by Israel against the Palestinian people.»
Furthermore, they pointed out that she has not hidden her intentions to relinquish Venezuela’s natural resources, including the world’s largest oil reserves, to the United States, and has supported all sanctions imposed by Washington against the Venezuelan people.
It also did not go unnoticed that this far-right opposition figure chose to dedicate (and subsequently award) the prize to U.S. President Donald Trump in a context of military operations ordered by the Republican magnate that constitute extrajudicial executions and violations of international law.
Aligning Agenda with the Right
The schedule also indicated that on Thursday, Machado will meet with the Venezuelan community residing in Chile. This event will take place at 5:00 PM at Paseo Bulnes with Parque Almagro.
Additionally, she is expected to attend the launch of the «Sebastián Piñera Chair» at the University of Development, an initiative driven by the family of the late former president.
