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By Anna Commander and Peter Aitken
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Venezuela's opposition leader Maria Corina Machado says that she "presented" U.S. President Donald Trump with her Nobel Peace Prize during a meeting the two had on Thursday in Washington, D.C.
Newsweek reached out to the White House by email on Thursday afternoon for comment.
Why It Matters
The meeting comes on the heels of the U.S.-led military operation in Caracas earlier this month that resulted in the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife. The operation shocked the world with its speed and efficiency, taking only hours as Delta Force commandos entered a military compound following airstrikes, took Maduro and his wife captive, then extracted them back to the U.S. to stand trial for narco-terrorism charges in New York City.
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However, the aftermath of the operation has proven more complicated, as the administration has not committed to any particular figure taking the lead in the post-Maduro Venezuela: At the moment, the administration has gladly allowed Interim President Delcy Rodriguez to remain in power.
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What To Know
Machado overwhelmingly won the primary to face Maduro in an election in 2025 as the candidate for the Vente Venezuela party, but the Venezuelan Supreme Tribunal of Justice ultimately disqualified her from running for president, much to the outcry of several world and regional leaders.
Trump has not been shy about voicing his skepticism about Machado taking the lead, saying she would need his support if she wanted any chance of winning an election. During a press conference held the day after the Maduro capture, Trump told reporters: "I don't think she's got the support of the people that she has to have."
Sources close to the White House earlier this month told The Washington Post that Trump had soured on Machado due to her decision to accept the Nobel Peace Prize, which Trump had long and openly coveted. One of the sources believed that had Machado turned down the award in favor of Trump, "she'd be the president of Venezuela today."
However, Machado appeared to try and mend that particular bridge during her visit to the White House on Thursday, telling reporters that she had offered the prize to Trump.
"I presented the president of the United States the medal...the Nobel Peace Prize," Machado said in response to a question from a reporter, relating to them a story about General Lafayette presenting Venezuelan hero and military leader Simón Bolívar with a medal bearing the likeness of George Washington.
"And two hundred years in history, the people of Bolivar are giving back to the heir of Washington, a medal, in this case a medal ... in recognition for his unique commitment with our freedom," Machado said.
Trump previously said it "would be a great honor" if Machado shared her award.
But the Nobel Peace Center stressed in a post on X that the Peace Prize is not designed to be transferred.
"One truth remains," the committee wrote, in part. "As the Norwegian Nobel Committee states: 'Once a Nobel Prize is announced, it cannot be revoked, shared, or transferred to others. The decision is final and stands for all time.' A medal can change owners, but the title of a Nobel Peace Prize laureate cannot."
What People Are Saying
President Donald Trump on Truth Social: "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!"
The Nobel Peace Center in a post on X, in part: "Did you know that some Nobel Peace Prize medals have been passed on after the award was given? A well‑known case is Dmitry Muratov’s medal, which was auctioned for over USD 100 million to support refugees from the war in Ukraine. And the medal displayed at the Nobel Peace Center is actually on loan and originally belonged to Christian Lous Lange, Norway’s first Peace Prize laureate. But one truth remains. As the Norwegian Nobel Committee states: “Once a Nobel Prize is announced, it cannot be revoked, shared, or transferred to others. The decision is final and stands for all time.” A medal can change owners, but the title of a Nobel Peace Prize laureate cannot."
Gideon Rachman, the chief foreign affairs commentator for the Financial Times, earlier this week on X: "Trump’s obsession with getting the Nobel Peace Prize reflects a broader Maga phenomenon - craving for acceptance and praise from a “liberal” establishment they claim to despise."
Update 1/15/26, 7:56 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional information.
Update 1/15/26, 7:30 p.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional information.
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