María Corina Machado, Venezuelan opposition leader, presented her 2025 Nobel Peace Prize medal to Donald Trump in the Oval Office on Thursday, describing the gesture as a symbol of gratitude for his support for Venezuelan freedom and democracy.
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In a White House meeting on January 15, Machado handed Trump the gold medal encased in a large frame with an inscription recognising what she called his “principled and decisive action to secure a free Venezuela”. The White House later shared a photo of the pair standing together with the framed prize.
Trump took to his Truth Social platform to thank Machado, calling it “a wonderful gesture of mutual respect” and praising her courage while asserting the presentation was in recognition of “the work I have done”. He also described her as “a wonderful woman who has been through so much.”
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Machado told reporters after leaving the White House that she had offered the medal as recognition of Trump’s “unique commitment to our freedom”, invoking a historical analogy with earlier US-Latin American solidarity.
The gesture came at a sensitive moment in Venezuelan politics following the recent capture of former president Nicolás Maduro by US forces, a development that has intensified debates over the country’s future. Machado has pushed for a swift democratic transition in Venezuela, but Trump has stopped short of endorsing her as the country’s next leader, signalling continued engagement with interim authorities in Caracas.
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The Norwegian Nobel Institute has reiterated that Nobel Peace Prizes are non-transferable and cannot be shared, underlining that while a medal can change hands, the official title of Nobel laureate remains with the original recipient.
“We can count on President Trump,” Machado told supporters after the meeting, as cheers broke out outside the White House.
