Venezuelan opposition leader Machado gives Trump her Peace Prize medal

Washington (Web Desk): Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado handed over her Nobel Peace Prize medal to US President Donald Trump during a meeting at the White House on Thursday, a symbolic move aimed at strengthening her influence over Washington’s approach to Venezuela’s political future. A White House official later confirmed that Trump plans to keep the medal.

Trump acknowledged the gesture in a social media post the same evening, saying Machado had presented him with her Nobel Peace Prize in appreciation of what he described as his efforts, calling it a meaningful act of shared respect.

Machado, who termed the meeting highly productive, said the medal was given in recognition of Trump’s commitment to what she described as the freedom and aspirations of the Venezuelan people.

The outreach came after Trump publicly ruled out backing Machado as Venezuela’s next leader following the removal of Nicolás Maduro.

Trump had openly sought the Nobel Peace Prize himself before Machado received the award last month and had voiced frustration at being overlooked. While Machado handed Trump the gold medal that accompanies the prize, the Nobel distinction itself remains solely hers, as the Norwegian Nobel Institute has made clear that the award cannot be transferred, divided or withdrawn.

When asked a day earlier whether he wanted Machado to give him the prize, Trump told Reuters that he had not requested it, noting that Machado was the rightful recipient. Despite that, Trump has long shown interest in winning the Nobel Peace Prize and has often tied his diplomatic initiatives to that ambition.

The working lunch between the two, which lasted just over an hour, marked their first face-to-face meeting. Afterward, Machado met with more than a dozen US senators from both major parties on Capitol Hill, where she has generally encountered stronger backing.

During her visit, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump had been eager to meet Machado but maintained his view that she currently lacks the political support needed to lead Venezuela in the near term.

Machado, who escaped Venezuela by sea in December, is now vying for influence in Washington alongside representatives linked to Venezuela’s government, hoping to secure a role in shaping the country’s governance going forward.

Her visit came as expectations rise among opposition figures, members of the Venezuelan diaspora and political leaders across the Americas that Venezuela could begin a transition toward democratic rule following the US operation earlier this month that resulted in Maduro’s capture.