Venezuela's Machado leaves her Nobel Peace Prize for Trump at White House

Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado on Thursday left her Nobel Peace Prize medal at the White House after meeting US President Donald Trump, a symbolic gesture aimed at securing Washington’s backing as Venezuela navigates an uncertain political future following the fall of Nicolas Maduro.

A White House official confirmed that the gold medal remains in Trump’s possession.

Machado, who won the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize for her campaign to promote democracy and a peaceful transition in Venezuela, said she had “presented the President of the United States with the medal of the Nobel Peace Prize”, describing it as recognition of his “unique commitment with our freedom”.

Trump welcomed the gesture, posting on Truth Social, “Maria presented me with her Nobel Peace Prize for the work I have done. Such a wonderful gesture of mutual respect. Thank you Maria.”

The Oslo-based Nobel Peace Center, however, swiftly reiterated that Nobel medals cannot be shared, transferred or revoked under the statutes of the Nobel Foundation.

In fact, the Norwegian Nobel Institute had already addressed the issue days before Machado’s White House visit. On Sunday, the institute said the Nobel Peace Prize cannot be transferred, shared or revoked, following remarks by the Venezuelan opposition leader suggesting she might give her 2025 award to US President Donald Trump.

In a statement, the institute said the decision to award a Nobel Prize is final and permanent, citing the statutes of the Nobel Foundation, which do not allow appeals. It also noted that Nobel committees do not comment on the actions or statements of laureates after receiving the award, underscoring that “once a Nobel Prize is announced, it cannot be revoked, shared or transferred to others”.

Machado’s visit came amid intense debate over Venezuela’s political future following the US-led capture of former president Nicolas Maduro and his wife earlier this month. Despite being a long-time critic of Maduro, Machado has faced scepticism from Trump, who has previously questioned her credibility and said she lacks sufficient domestic support to lead a transition government.

After more than an hour of talks at the White House, Machado emerged to cheers from supporters gathered outside. “We can count on President Trump,” she told them, prompting chants of “Thank you, Trump” before she moved on to further meetings in Washington.

The gesture also showed Trump’s well-known interest in the Nobel Peace Prize. He had openly criticised the Nobel Committee after it awarded the 2025 prize to Machado, calling it a snub. In interviews ahead of the meeting, Machado suggested that presenting the medal would be an act of gratitude from the Venezuelan people for the removal of Maduro.

On Fox News earlier this week, she told host Sean Hannity that the idea of offering the prize to Trump had not yet been finalised. Trump, for his part, said he would be honoured to accept it if offered.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt described Machado as a “remarkable and brave voice” for many Venezuelans but said Trump’s assessment of her leadership prospects remained unchanged.

Thursday’s meeting marked Machado’s first public appearance in Washington in months after leaving Venezuela under threats to her safety. She was barred from contesting the 2024 presidential election by a court aligned with Maduro. Independent observers said opposition-backed Edmundo Gonzlez Urrutia won decisively, though Maduro declared victory and remained in power until his capture.