Richardson earns Nobel nomination
Letter from four senators lauds former governor’s efforts for political prisoners
Bill Richardson, a former United Nations ambassador and two-term governor of New Mexico, has been nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize for his work to free hostages and political prisoners in other countries.
Richardson, 75, the founder of the Richardson Center for Global Engagement, was nominated by four U.S. senators, including New Mexico’s Ben Ray Luján and Martin Heinrich.
His nomination was first reported Friday by the Washington, D.C.-based website The Hill.
Their letter points to Richardson’s work to free 15 political prisoners in the past 14 months, mostly from Russia, Venezuela and Myanmar, including securing Russia’s release of basketball player Brittney Griner and former U.S. Marine Trevor Reed.
It also includes a long list of mostly American hostages Richardson has worked to free over the years from countries such as North Korea, Cuba and Iraq.
“The Richardson Center for Global Engagement embodies the Governor’s own words that ‘no individual should ever feel abandoned when taken hostage or political prisoner by a government or entity,’” says the nomination letter, which was also signed by U.S. Sens. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., and Robert Menendez, D-N.J.
“Governor Richardson and the Richardson Center for Global Engagement have continually worked to advance the ‘fraternity between nations’ and the cause of peace, as he and the Center have worked to find peaceful resolutions to challenging diplomatic matters,” the letter continued. “Through the Richardson Center, Governor Richardson has dedicated his post-political career to helping families of political prisoners, prisoners of conscience, and hostages, by negotiating their release and return.”
His nomination is also supported by letters from former hostages and their families.
“We feel lucky to have been introduced to the Richardson Center and will forever be grateful for them. I am confident that without their experience, commitment, and passion for the work to reunite families, I would not be home today,” wrote Griner and her wife, Cherelle Griner.
Paula Reed, Trevor Reed’s mother, credited Richardson and Mickey Bergman, the vice president of the Richardson Center, with getting President Joe Biden to accept the deal that freed her son, and said he put his safety at risk to do so by flying to Russia for talks just days before its invasion of Ukraine.
“I am so grateful to Governor Richardson and Mickey Bergman for selflessly acting on behalf of my family to make us whole again,” she wrote.
Richardson was elected to Congress representing Northern New Mexico in 1982. He served as U.N. ambassador and then Secretary of Energy under President Bill Clinton.
He was governor of New Mexico from 2003 to 2011 and ran for president in 2008.