Venezuelan opposition politician Maria Corina Machado presented her Nobel Peace Prize to Donald Trump during a meeting at the White House, saying it was a recognition of the US president's commitment to her country's freedom.
"I think today is a historic day for us Venezuelans," she said after meeting Trump for the first time, weeks after US forces captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in Caracas and charged him with drug trafficking.
In a post on social media, Trump expressed his gratitude, writing that Maria Machado's move was "a wonderful gesture of mutual respect."
However, the US president refused to endorse Machado as Venezuela's new leader, despite her opposition coalition declaring victory in the election. elections in 2024, whose legitimacy was challenged by America.
According to official results, Maduro won those elections..
Instead of Maria Machado, Trump supported Venezuela's new president, Delcy Rodriguez.
Trump said meeting Machado was a "great honor," calling her "a wonderful woman who has been through so much."
Upon leaving the White House, Machado addressed supporters gathered outside the gate, telling them in Spanish: "We can count on President Trump," the Associated Press reported.
"I presented the President of the United States with the Nobel Peace Prize medal," Machado later told reporters in English.
Trump, who often speaks of his desire to be awarded Nobel Prize for peace, expressed dissatisfaction when it was awarded to Machado, and she decided to accept the honor last year.
Machado said last week that she would share it with Trump, but the Nobel committee later clarified that the prize cannot be transferred to another person.
"Once the name of a Nobel laureate is announced, it cannot be revoked, shared or transferred to others," the committee said in a statement last week.
"The decision is final and valid for all time," they say.
Before Trump and Machado met at the White House, the Nobel Peace Center announced on Xu that "the medal can change hands, but the title of Nobel Peace Prize laureate cannot."
Machado described how the Marquis de Lafayette, who fought in the American War of Independence, presented a medal with the image of George Washington to Simón Bolívar, one of the founders of modern Venezuela.
The gift is a “sign of brotherhood” between her country and the US “in their fight for freedom against tyranny,” Machado said.
"Two hundred years later, the Bolivarian people return a medal to Washington's successor - in this case, the Nobel Peace Prize medal - in recognition of his singular dedication to our freedom," she said.
While in Washington, Machado met with US senators in Congress, and while she was giving a statement to reporters, she was overpowered by her supporters who chanted "Maria, Presidente" and waved Venezuelan flags.
Machado was expected to try to convince Trump that supporting Delcy Rodriguez's interim government was a mistake and that her opposition coalition should lead the country in the transition period.
White House spokeswoman Caroline Levitt told reporters ahead of the meeting that Machado is "an extraordinary and courageous voice for many Venezuelans" and that Trump "looks forward to this meeting and expects a frank and positive conversation" about the realities of life in Venezuela.
Trump has previously described Machado as a "freedom fighter" but has rejected the idea of appointing her as Venezuela's leader after Maduro's capture, arguing that she lacks sufficient support in the South American country.
For Delcy Rodriguez, the Trump administration says she is "extremely cooperative."
Rodriguez delivered her annual "Message to the Nation" speech in Caracas on January 15, in which she said she was ready to go to talks in Washington.
"If I ever have to go to Washington as acting president, I will do so standing tall, walking, not crawling," she said, urging the country to "not be afraid of diplomacy" with the US.
The day before the speech, Trump and Rodriguez spoke on the phone, and Trump later described her on social media as a "great person."
Rodriguez described the conversation as "productive and friendly" and filled with "mutual respect."
Since Maduro's arrest on January 3, the Trump administration has moved quickly to reshape Venezuela's oil sector, which has been under U.S. sanctions.
A US official said the US has agreed to the first sale of Venezuelan oil, worth $500 million.
America is also seized six oil tankers suspected of transporting sanctioned Venezuelan oil.
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- Who is Maria Corina Machado, winner of the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize?
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