Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado said on Thursday that she “presented” her Nobel Peace Prize medal to US President Donald Trump following a meeting at the White House, a symbolic gesture involving an award the Nobel committee says cannot be transferred.
Speaking to reporters outside the US Capitol, Machado said she had offered the medal to Trump after their talks. She did not clarify whether the president accepted or kept it, according to AFP.
A Symbolic Gesture Steeped in History
Machado framed the move as a historical parallel, likening it to the Marquis de Lafayette, the French officer who aided the United States during the Revolutionary War, and later presented a medal to Simón Bolívar, the Venezuelan leader of independence struggles against Spain.
Drawing on that comparison, Machado said that two centuries later, the people of Bolívar were returning the gesture to what she described as the “heir of Washington.” As she presented the Nobel Peace Prize medal, she called it recognition of Trump’s “unique commitment to our freedom,” according to her remarks.
Nobel Committee: Prize Cannot Be Transferred
The Norwegian Nobel Committee has previously made clear that the Nobel Peace Prize cannot be revoked, shared or transferred. In a post on X, the committee said the name of the laureate “stands for all time,” even if the medal itself changes hands.
Trump acknowledged Machado’s gesture, praising her as a “wonderful woman who has been through so much.” In a post on Truth Social, the US President said, “It was my Great Honor to meet María Corina Machado, of Venezuela, today. She is a wonderful woman who has been through so much. María presented me with her Nobel Peace Prize for the work I have done. Such a wonderful gesture of mutual respect. Thank you María!”
Trump has long said he deserves the Nobel Peace Prize and had earlier dismissed Machado as unfit to lead Venezuela when she won the award.
Machado’s meeting with Trump on Thursday marked their first in-person encounter. The discussions lasted a little over an hour and were described by Machado as “great.” She said she was counting on Trump to support freedom in Venezuela, adding that he understood the country’s crisis and cared about the suffering of its people.
Despite the meeting, Trump reiterated that Machado does not command the “respect” needed to lead Venezuela.
Instead of working with her, Trump has previously said he would engage with interim president Delcy Rodríguez, warning her of the use of force if she failed to comply with key US demands, beginning with measures that would benefit American oil firms.