Venezuelan Corina Machado "Presents" Trump with her Nobel Prize

Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado presented her Nobel Peace Prize medal to U.S. President Donald Trump during a White House meeting, a symbolic gesture aimed at winning Washington’s backing for her role in Venezuela’s post-Maduro future.

A White House photo showed Trump holding a gold-framed display containing the medal and a dedication reading: “Presented as a personal symbol of gratitude on behalf of the Venezuelan people in recognition of President Trump’s principled and decisive action to secure a free Venezuela.”

Trump has been eyeing the Nobel Prize since he became President on the promise of ending several wars in the world. On Truth Social, he wrote: “Maria presented me with her Nobel Peace Prize for the work I have done. Such a wonderful gesture of mutual respect.”

The Oslo-based Nobel Peace Center quickly clarified that the award cannot be transferred. “A medal can change owners, but the title of a Nobel Peace Prize laureate cannot,” the Nobel Committee said on X.

Machado, awarded the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize for her campaign against Venezuela’s authoritarian system, called the meeting “historic” and said the Trump administration understood the need to rebuild institutions, protect human rights and free speech, and launch a “new, genuine electoral process.”

She reiterated that opposition candidate Edmundo González is Venezuela’s president-elect following the disputed 2024 election, a result challenged by the opposition and international observers. Government-appointed electoral authorities had declared Nicolás Maduro the winner before his capture by U.S. Special Forces and transfer to New York.

Despite Maduro’s removal, Trump has not endorsed Machado or González. Instead, he backed Maduro’s former vice president, Delcy Rodríguez, who has since been sworn in as acting president.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump’s assessment of Machado “has not changed,” adding that he believes she lacks sufficient domestic support to lead Venezuela. The administration has described Rodríguez as a stable, pragmatic choice and said her interim government has cooperated with U.S. demands, including the release of American detainees.

Trump has also tempered expectations of early elections, saying Venezuela must be stabilized before any vote can take place.