Venezuela's Machado says she 'presented' Trump her Nobel medal
The Nobel Institute has said Machado cannot give the prize to Trump, stating the prize isn't transferable
Author of the article:Eddie Chau
Published Jan 15, 2026 • Last updated 13 hours ago • 2 minute read
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Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado waves to supporters on Pennsylvania Avenue as she leaves the White House after meeting with President Donald Trump Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026, in Washington. Photo by Pablo Martinez Monsivais /AP
It appears Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado made a “peace” offering with U.S. President Donald Trump.
Machado says she gave her Nobel Peace Prize medal to Trump during a meeting with him on Thursday at the White House.
“I presented the President of the United States the medal, the Nobel Peace Prize,“ Machado told reporters as she left the White House.
She said she’d done so ”as a recognition for his unique commitment with our freedom.”
Machado didn’t elaborate further on the exchange, nor has the White House stated if Trump accepted the medal.
Trump has yearned for a Nobel Prize
Trump has previously campaigned for a Nobel Peace Prize nomination. The medal is awarded to individuals who have “done the most or best to advance fellowship among nations, the abolition or reduction of standing armies, and the establishment and promotion of peace congresses.”
The Nobel Institute has said Machado cannot give the prize to Trump, stating the prize isn’t transferable.
Machado said giving the medal to Trump echoed 19th-century Venezuelan military officer Simón Bolívar’s acceptance of a medal with George Washington’s face from Revolutionary War general Marquis de Lafayette, per Politico.
“I was impressed by how clear he was, how much he knows about the situation in Venezuela, how much he cares about the suffering of the Venezuelan people, and I assured him that the Venezuelan people are united,” Machado said.
Even if it’s just a symbolic gesture to please Trump, it might not mean much as Trump has failed to support Machado becoming Venezuela’s leader after Nicolas Maduro’s capture in a U.S. military raid earlier this month.
Trump has thrown his support behind Delcy Rodríguez, who was Maduro’s vice-president, to lead the country. Trump has stated Rodriguez was willing to put a U.S. spin on her leadership while keeping the existing regime in place, the Washington Post reported.
Machado spent 11 months in hiding
Machado had previously been in hiding in Venezuela for the past 11 months, before emerging in Norway last month where her daughter received the Nobel Peace prize on her behalf.
After the closed-door chat with Trump, Machado greeted supporters outside the White House gates, telling them, “We can count on President Trump.”
Trump has yet to comment on the meeting.
After her meeting with Trump, Machado also held meetings with a group of bipartisan senators.
Trump’s previous snubbing of Machado
The U.S. President wasn’t a fan of Machado in the past.
Within hours after Maduro’s capture, Trump said of Machado that “it would be tough for her to be the leader.”
Machado has been careful to avoid offending Trump, especially after winning the Nobel Prize.
Machado said she gave her Nobel Peace Prize medal to Trump during a meeting with him on Thursday at the White House.
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