NPR Corrects Post Describing Nobel Laureate Machado as 'Far-Right Leader of Venezuela's Opposition' After Criticism From Ted Cruz

Senator Ted Cruz criticized NPR over what he described as a politically motivated mischaracterization of Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado, following a Facebook post by the public broadcaster that referred to her as "far-right."

"Before NPR again asks why I cut their funding, they should scroll through their Facebook," Cruz wrote on X. "They're intentionally smearing a Nobel Peace Prize winner and American ally by labeling her as 'far right.'"

The Facebook post in question, published by NPR on October 12, promoted an article titled "Nobel Prize winner Machado says Venezuela is in 'chaos' under current regime." Its original caption read: "The far-right leader of Venezuela's opposition party said that the current president is illegitimate and called for his removal."

Following Cruz's criticism, however, NPR added a correction below the post: "An earlier version of this post incorrectly referred to Nobel Peace Prize winner María Corina Machado as a far-right leader. She leads Vente Venezuela, a political movement that is described as centrist."

Machado, a key figure in Venezuela's opposition movement, received the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize for her efforts to promote democratic change under President Nicolás Maduro's government.

Cruz's post also referenced his long-standing push to eliminate federal funding for public broadcasting, an effort he has justified by alleging persistent political bias at NPR. In July 2025, the Senate approved a $9 billion rescission package proposed by the Trump administration, which included cutting $1.1 billion in funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the main conduit of federal support for NPR, PBS, and local public media stations.

At the time, Cruz said on the Senate floor that public broadcasting "has long been overtaken by partisan activists," arguing that "taxpayers should not be forced to subsidize left-wing propaganda."

The Texas senator has also previously accused NPR of accepting "left-wing foundation money to influence coverage," citing multi-million-dollar grants from organizations like the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

In a July 2024 letter to NPR CEO Katherine Maher, Cruz claimed that "the timing and content of certain NPR articles align with earmarked donations from left-wing nonprofits." NPR rejected the accusations, saying its newsroom operates independently and that "supporters have no input into our editorial decisions."