Venezuelan opposition leader Machado meets Trump at White House, gifts him her Nobel Peace Prize medal
Venezuelan opposition leader and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Maria Corina Machado presented U.S. President Donald Trump with her Nobel Peace Prize medal during a White House meeting on Jan. 16.
According to a U.S. official, Trump will be keeping the medal, though the gesture is largely symbolic as the Nobel committee does not allow the prize to be officially transferred or shared.
The meeting came less than two weeks after U.S. forces captured then-President Nicolas Maduro and his wife in Caracas and brought them to New York to stand trial on drug trafficking charges.
Ahead of his capture, Maduro maintained close ties with Russian President Vladimir Putin, with Russia serving as one of Venezuela's largest arms suppliers and providing significant financial loans.
Machado was given the prize for her "tireless work promoting democratic rights for the people of Venezuela and for her struggle to achieve a just and peaceful transition from dictatorship to democracy."
The award is one of the five original prizes established by Alfred Nobel's 1895 will. It is awarded each year to individuals or organizations that have made significant contributions to peace efforts.
Despite hosting Machado, Trump has previously cast doubt on her credibility as a potential leader for Venezuela after Maduro’s removal.
Machado told reporters she made the presentation “as a recognition for his unique commitment with (Venezuela’s) freedom.”
The move follows months of Trump publicly arguing he deserved the prize, pointing to what he describes as his role in ending or advancing peace efforts in multiple global conflicts.
Trump later thanked Machado on Truth Social and noted that it was a “great honor” to meet her.
“Maria presented me with her Nobel Peace Prize for the work I have done,” Trump wrote. “Such a wonderful gesture of mutual respect. Thank you Maria!”
