Venezuelan opposition figure María Corina Machado has announced that she presented her Nobel Peace Prize medal to President Trump during a visit to the White House, stating it was an acknowledgment of his dedication to her nation’s liberation.
“Today marks a significant moment for us Venezuelans,” she remarked after her first personal meeting with Trump, just weeks following the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro by US forces in Caracas and his indictment on drug-trafficking charges.
Trump expressed his appreciation in a social media update, calling the gesture “a wonderful display of mutual respect”.
Nevertheless, the US president has refrained from endorsing Machado as the new leader of Venezuela, despite claims from her movement that they triumphed in the highly disputed elections of 2024.
Instead, Trump has been engaging with the current acting leader of Venezuela, Delcy Rodríguez, Maduro’s former vice-president.
He described his meeting with Machado as a “great honor”, calling her a “wonderful woman who has endured so much”.
Upon exiting the White House, Machado addressed supporters gathered outside, telling them in Spanish, as reported by the Associated Press: “We can count on President Trump.”
“I presented the president of the United States with the Nobel Peace Prize medal,” Machado later informed reporters in English, referring to it as “a recognition of his distinctive commitment to our freedom”.
Reuters/White HouseTrump, who frequently mentions his aspiration to receive the Nobel Peace Prize, expressed disappointment when it was awarded to Machado and she opted to accept the accolade last year.
The BBC has contacted the White House for a statement.
Machado indicated last week her intention to share it with Trump, but the Nobel Committee later clarified that the medal is not transferrable.
“Once a Nobel Prize is announced, it cannot be rescinded, shared, or given to others,” the committee stated last week. “The decision is irrevocable and remains in effect permanently.”
When requested for a response to Machado’s statements, the committee directed the BBC to their prior statement.
Before the White House meeting on Thursday, the Nobel Peace Center posted on X that “a medal may change ownership, but the title of a Nobel Peace Prize laureate cannot”.
In her comments, Machado recounted how the Marquis de Lafayette, who fought in America’s Revolutionary War, gifted a medal featuring George Washington’s likeness to Simon Bolivar, a founding figure of modern Venezuela.
The gift symbolized “the camaraderie” between her nation and the US “in their battle for freedom against oppression,” Machado stated.
“And two centuries in history, the citizens of Bolivar are returning to the descendant of Washington a medal – specifically a Nobel Peace Prize medal – as a tribute to his exceptional commitment to our freedom,” she added.
ReutersMachado also met with US senators during her trip to Washington, where her comments to journalists were drowned out by supporters chanting “María, presidente” and waving flags from Venezuela.
She was anticipated to use her meeting with Trump to persuade him that supporting Rodríguez’s interim administration was a misstep, and that her opposition coalition ought to oversee this transitional process.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt informed reporters as the Thursday meeting was happening that Machado is “a remarkable and brave voice for many Venezuelan citizens” and that Trump “was eager for this meeting and anticipated an open and positive dialogue” regarding the current situation in Venezuela.
Trump has previously labeled Machado as a “freedom fighter”, yet dismissed the idea of assigning her to lead Venezuela after Maduro’s ousting, contending that she lacks adequate domestic support.
Since Maduro’s capture on January 3, the Trump administration has swiftly acted to overhaul Venezuela’s oil industry, which had been under US sanctions. On Wednesday, an American official stated that the US had completed its first transaction of Venezuelan oil, valued at $500 million (£373 million).
Oil tankers suspected of transporting sanctioned Venezuelan oil have also been taken by the US, with American forces reporting they had boarded a sixth tanker on Thursday.
A Venezuelan government envoy is scheduled to travel to Washington on Thursday to engage with US representatives and initiate steps towards reopening the country’s embassy, as reported by the New York Times.
The emissary is said to be a close ally and confidant of Rodríguez, who has been characterized as “exceptionally cooperative” by the White House.
On Thursday, Rodríguez delivered the annual Message to the Nation address in Caracas, in which she voiced her readiness to participate in meetings in Washington as well.
“If I ever have to go to Washington as acting president, I will do so with my head held high, walking confidently, not crawling,” she proclaimed, urging the nation to “not be fearful of diplomacy” with the US.
Trump and Rodríguez also communicated by phone on Wednesday, with Trump later describing his counterpart on social media as “a fantastic person”. Rodríguez, for her part, characterized the call as “constructive and polite”, marked by “mutual respect.”
