Venezuela’s Machado Symbolically Presents Trump with Nobel Peace Prize Medal at White House

By Staff, Agencies

Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado said on Thursday that she presented her Nobel Peace Prize medal to US President Donald Trump during a meeting at the White House, where the two discussed Venezuela’s future, despite Trump’s continued skepticism about her ability to lead the country.

The unusual gesture came amid rapidly unfolding events in Venezuela following a bold US military operation two weeks earlier that resulted in the capture of then-President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, who were taken to New York to face drug trafficking charges. The Nobel Institute has said such a transfer of the prize cannot officially take place.

Speaking to reporters outside the US Capitol, Machado said she gave Trump the medal as a sign of appreciation for what she described as his commitment to Venezuela’s freedom.

“I presented the president of the United States with the Nobel Peace Prize medal,” Machado said as she left the White House.

Trump later confirmed on social media that Machado had left the medal in his possession and said it was an honor to meet her. He praised her resilience and called the gesture one of mutual respect.

The White House later released a photo showing Machado holding the framed medal next to Trump in the Oval Office. The inscription on the frame described the medal as a personal expression of gratitude from the Venezuelan people for Trump’s actions toward securing a free Venezuela.

The meeting took place as acting President Delcy Rodríguez delivered her first State of the Union address in Caracas, and as US forces in the Caribbean seized another oil tanker sanctioned for alleged ties to Venezuela.

Despite the dramatic developments, Venezuela’s political future remains uncertain. Trump and his advisers have signaled openness to working with Rodríguez — Maduro’s former vice president — rather than Machado’s political movement, which many believe won the disputed 2024 elections.

Trump has said Machado would struggle to govern due to what he described as a lack of domestic support and respect. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt echoed a cautious tone, praising Machado’s courage while noting that the meeting did not signal a change in Trump’s assessment.

Leavitt said Trump supports holding new Venezuelan elections when conditions allow, without specifying a timeline.

After the meeting, Machado greeted supporters gathered near the White House, telling them they could count on Trump, prompting brief chants in his support.

She later met privately with a bipartisan group of US senators, warning that the absence of tangible progress toward a political transition or elections in the coming months would be cause for serious concern.

Ahead of the visit, the Norwegian Nobel Institute reiterated that once awarded, a Nobel Peace Prize cannot be withdrawn, transferred, or shared.