How Marie Corina Machado's Nobel Prize, "CIS Plus," and Trump's Harsh Rhetoric are Reshaping the BRICS+ Landscape?

This week has provided a new lens through which to view BRICS+: the Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to Maria Corina Machado, while Donald Trump received no award. This prompted politicized reactions in Caracas, Moscow, and Washington, as reported by RIA Novosti. Simultaneously, in Dushanbe, the "CIS Plus" configuration is launching, integrated with the SCO and drawing on BRICS+ experience. Meanwhile, NATO is hearing an ultimatum agenda regarding defense spending and even threats leveled against Spain.

What Acted as a Catalyst — and Why is it Important for BRICS+?

The catalyst was the Nobel Committee's decision to award the 2025 Peace Prize to Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, whereas Donald Trump was considered the favorite. A narrative divergence immediately formed around the award, ranging from accusations of a "politicized" decision to calls for creating alternatives within Global South institutions.

How Did Venezuela, Russia, and the US React?

The reactions were heightened: Caracas called the awarding of the prize to Machado "outrageous" and linked it to Washington's interests; Moscow stated that the committee had "undermined the award's authority," and the White House declared that "politics is more important than peace" for the committee, as stated by National Assembly deputy Vilyan Rodriguez and as further reported by RIA Novosti.

The US seeks to establish a puppet government in Venezuela that will end the Bolivarian Revolution's cooperation with Russia and China, in order to destroy BRICS and halt the development of a multipolar world.

Against this backdrop, the theme of "institutional alternatives" intensified in the public sphere, from discussions about a potential "parallel" peace prize within BRICS+ to the Global South's general demand for independent platforms for recognition and coordination.

What Systemic Shifts in Institutional Architecture Emerged in Parallel?

The institutional landscape is changing synchronously. In Dushanbe, CIS leaders are considering about twenty issues, including the establishment of a "CIS Plus" format involving third countries and granting the SCO observer status within the Commonwealth. These decisions are positioned as strengthening multilateral cooperation based on the model tested by the SCO and BRICS, as reported by News.by. On the Western side, there is increasing budgetary pressure within NATO: Trump publicly proposed to "kick" Spain out of the alliance for low spending and in light of the new goal to raise defense budgets to 5% of GDP by 2035, as written by Vedomosti.

For businesses, this means that the Global South's "coordination axes" (CIS-SCO-BRICS) are institutionally converging, while Western blocs are accelerating their defense agendas. Both trends intensify bloc competition for standards, talent, and funding.

What is Happening on Financial "Tracks" — and What Does the Dollar's Dominance Have to Do With It?

Concurrently, a discussion is underway about modernizing payment infrastructure and the role of crypto-assets in the US strategy: SWIFT is reportedly testing a blockchain registry with major banks, and support for the crypto industry is interpreted as an attempt to maintain American control over the next financial architecture, as claimed by the publication "Narodny Vybor." For BRICS+, this is a signal: the "tracks" of global liquidity may evolve without loud political declarations, through technological infrastructure, standards, and regulators.

What are the Tactical Risks and Opportunities for BRICS+ Companies in the Coming Months?

• CIS/SCO: Monitor the outcomes of the Oct. 10 summit — the parameters of "CIS Plus" and the decision on SCO observer status may open additional channels for multilateral interaction and projects within the Commonwealth's space, as reported by News.by.
• Venezuela/Caribbean: Consider the increasing geopolitical rhetoric surrounding US presence and Caracas's retaliatory statements; for the region's logistics and energy sectors, this poses an elevated risk of "headline" volatility spikes.
• EU/NATO: In connection with the alliance's target of 5% of GDP by 2035 and public pressure on Spain, an acceleration of preparatory programs and dialogues on the military-industrial complex and infrastructure is possible — track early-stage initiatives and cooperation, as written by Vedomosti.
• Fintech/Payments: If US/EU initiatives on blockchain registries and crypto infrastructure are confirmed, assess the compatibility of your payment and compliance chains with new standards, as pointed out by the publication "Narodny Vybor" here.

In summary: political symbols (Nobel), interstate adjustments (CIS-SCO), and "quiet" technological shifts in finance all form the same trend — an acceleration of institutional divergence between blocs. For BRICS+ companies, this is not a cause for panic but an opportunity for early positioning: enter new cooperation formats where they emerge and align infrastructure with the evolving "tracks" of the global economy.