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. 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. “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.

Source: The Guardian October 08, 2016 15:00 UTC