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Machado presents Nobel Peace Prize medal to Trump
Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado handed her Nobel Peace Prize medal to U.S. President Donald Trump during a White House meeting on Thursday, calling it a tribute to his role in Venezuela's push for freedom. The gesture comes weeks after U.S. forces detained Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro on drug-trafficking charges.
Nobel committee rejects transfer of prize
The Nobel Peace Prize committee clarified that the award cannot be transferred, revoked, or shared. In a statement last week, it emphasized that once awarded, the title of Nobel laureate remains with the recipient permanently. The committee directed inquiries about Machado's remarks to its earlier statement.
The Nobel Peace Center reiterated on social media that while a medal may change ownership, the laureate title does not.
Trump's response and U.S. stance on Venezuela
Trump described the medal as a "wonderful gesture of mutual respect" but stopped short of endorsing Machado as Venezuela's leader. Despite her coalition's claim of victory in the contested 2024 elections, the U.S. has engaged with acting President Delcy Rodríguez, Maduro's former vice president.
"She's a wonderful woman who has been through so much," Trump said of Machado after their meeting.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt called Machado a "remarkable and brave voice" for Venezuelans but noted Trump sought a "frank and positive discussion" about the country's future.
Machado's symbolic gesture and historical parallels
Machado framed the medal as a recognition of U.S.-Venezuela solidarity, drawing a parallel to the Marquis de Lafayette's gift of a George Washington medal to Simón Bolívar during Venezuela's fight for independence. "Two hundred years later, the people of Bolívar are returning a medal to the heir of Washington," she said.
Freddy Guevara, co-founder of the opposition party Voluntad Popular, told the BBC the gesture was not a bid for U.S. endorsement but a principled act. "María Corina Machado believes this is the right thing to do for Venezuela's freedom," he said.
U.S. moves to reshape Venezuela's oil sector
Since Maduro's arrest on January 3, the Trump administration has rapidly restructured Venezuela's oil industry, lifting sanctions and completing a $500 million oil sale this week. U.S. forces also seized a sixth tanker suspected of transporting sanctioned Venezuelan oil on Thursday.
Guevara acknowledged the U.S. interest in oil but insisted the opposition's focus remains on democratic elections. "We are not naive. We understand the importance of oil, but both goals can align," he said.
Diplomatic efforts and Rodríguez's defiant tone
A Venezuelan envoy, a close ally of Rodríguez, is expected in Washington on Thursday to discuss reopening the country's embassy, according to the New York Times. Rodríguez, in her annual Message to the Nation speech, affirmed her willingness to engage with the U.S. but vowed to do so "standing tall, walking, and not crawling."
Trump and Rodríguez spoke by phone Wednesday, with Trump calling her "a terrific person" and Rodríguez describing the call as "productive and courteous."
