Machado gave Trump the Nobel Peace Prize medal

Trump was nominated for the award along with Machado

Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado said she has given her Nobel Peace Prize medal to US President Donald Trump. Machado said she did so “in recognition of his unique commitment” to Venezuelan freedom.

“I told President Trump that 200 years ago, General Lafayette gave Simon Bolivar a medal with the image of President George Washington. Since then, Simon Bolivar has never parted with her. "200 years later, the people of Bolivar present the President of the United States, Washington's heir, with the Nobel Prize medal in recognition of his commitment to our freedom," Machado said after her meeting with Trump.

Trump, who was one of the nominees for the Nobel Peace Prize, called meeting Machado a “tremendous honor.” “She is a wonderful woman who has been through a lot. Maria gave me her Nobel Peace Prize for my work. It was a wonderful gesture of mutual respect. Thank you, Maria!” - Trump wrote on the social network Truth Social.

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Position of the Nobel Committee

The Norwegian Nobel Committee emphasized that the prize cannot be withdrawn or transferred to another person. “Once a Nobel Prize has been announced, it cannot be withdrawn, divided or transferred to others. The decision is final and always valid. A medal may change its owner, but the title of Nobel Peace Prize laureate cannot,” the statement said.

The committee recalled that several years ago, Novaya Gazeta editor-in-chief Dmitry Muratov, who received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2021, sold his medal at auction for more than $100 million and donated the money to Ukrainian refugees.

Machado received the Nobel Peace Prize for her efforts to promote democracy in Venezuela

Machado received the Nobel Peace Prize in October 2025 for her efforts to promote democracy in Venezuela and has previously said she believes the award belongs to the Venezuelan people.

The Venezuelan opposition leader arrived in Oslo on the night of December 11, a few hours after the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony, which she received in absentia. Machado's daughter accepted the award on behalf of Machado at Oslo City Hall. The politician later walked onto the balcony of the Grand Hotel, where she was greeted by supporters who sang the Venezuelan anthem and chanted “Libertad, libertad!”

In a conversation with reporters, Machado stated that she was aware of the risks associated with the trip and emphasized that she intended to return the award to her homeland: “I came to receive the award on behalf of the Venezuelan people and will return it to Venezuela at the right time. Of course, I won’t say when this will be.”

According to media reports, Machado made a secret trip despite the travel ban. The then Venezuelan authorities criticized the award ceremony, calling it a political stunt.

Who is Maria Machado

Machado is a former member of the Venezuelan parliament. She was one of the key figures in the mass protests in the country in 2014. In August 2024, she was not allowed to participate in the presidential elections. The politician supported the election campaign of another opposition candidate, Edmundo Gonzalez, whom critics of the current Venezuelan authorities and a number of foreign governments consider the legitimate winner of the presidential election.

Authoritarian leader Nicolas Maduro was officially re-elected president despite widespread allegations of fraud. In January, Machado was kidnapped before Maduro's inauguration.

US operation in Caracas

On the night of January 3, American troops attacked military targets in the capital of Venezuela, Caracas , and captured the country's leader Nicolas Maduro and his wife Celia Flores. They appeared in court in New York. Among other things, Maduro is accused of “narco-terrorism,” possession of weapons and drug smuggling.

The day after the operation, Donald Trump said the US would govern Venezuela until there was a proper transfer of power. Answering a journalist's question about Machado, Trump said that "it will be difficult for her to become a leader because no one respects her there."

Delcy Rodriguez has become acting president of Venezuela. According to Politico sources, the US expects Rodriguez to ultimately promote free elections and resign.

The Washington Post reported that Trump previously refused to support Machado after she accepted the peace prize. “If she had refused and said, ‘I can’t accept it because it belongs to Donald Trump,’ she would be the president of Venezuela today,” the newspaper’s source said.

Photo: US President Donald Trump met with Maria Machado in the Oval Office of the White House on Tuesday, January 15, 2026. EYEPRESS via Reuters Connect

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