This article is more than 3 years old

This article is more than 3 years old

The Venezuelan president, Nicolás Maduro, on Friday announced the creation of a peace prize in honor of the late socialist leader Hugo Chávez, and said he was awarding it to the Russian president, Vladimir Putin.

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The announcement comes on the same day that the Nobel committee awarded its annual peace prize to Juan Manuel Santos, president of neighbouring Colombia, for his role in negotiating a peace agreement with Marxist Farc rebels.

The US has accused Putin’s government of war crimes regarding its bombing of Aleppo, in the Syrian civil war in which it supports the Assad regime.

On Friday, the US formally accused Russia of being behind the recent hack of the Democratic National Committee, and of seeking to influence and undermine the US presidential election.

“I’ve decided to create the Hugo Chávez prize for peace and sovereignty,” Maduro said, during a televised broadcast to unveil a statue of Chávez designed by a Russian artist.

“I think President Vladimir Putin deserves this Hugo Chávez award,” he said, describing Putin as a “fighter for peace”.

Maduro said winners of the prize would receive a miniature replica of the statue.

Venezuela during Chávez’s 14-year rule openly challenged Washington’s dominance in the region while building up alliances with traditional adversaries of the US, including Russia and China.



Critics of the ruling socialist party frequently ridicule its efforts to build Venezuela’s presence in international politics, noting the country’s unravelling economic system has created runaway inflation and chronic product shortages.