Machado Gives Nobel Medal to Trump Amid Venezuela Turmoil
16th Jan. 2026
The Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado has handed her Nobel Peace Prize medal to President Trump, during a private meeting at the White House. This move has stirred political controversy just weeks after the US had ordered the dramatic capture of Venezuela’s president, Nicolás Maduro.
Machado has won the Nobel Peace Prize last year for her campaign against what the committee described as Maduro’s “brutal, authoritarian state”. Speaking on Thursday, she said she made the gesture “in recognition [of] his unique commitment [to] our freedom”. Several hours later, Trump wrote on Truth Social that Machado “presented me with her Nobel peace prize for the work I have done. Such a wonderful gesture of mutual respect.”
Following Trump’s announcement, the White House released a photograph that shows the medal is mounted in a large gold frame. Beneath it, a message read: “Presented as a personal symbol of gratitude on behalf of the Venezuelan people in recognition of President Trump’s principled and decisive action to secure a free Venezuela.”
However, the Nobel committee quickly came into the frame to clarify that the award is itself a non-transferable. “A medal can change owners, but the title of a Nobel Peace Prize laureate cannot,” the organizers posted on X.
Shifting US-Venezuela Relations After Maduro’s Capture
The presentation came against a backdrop of rapidly changing US-Venezuela relations. Earlier this month, US special forces has captured Maduro in Caracas and transferred him to the New York. This capture ended Maduro’s years-long grip on power. Nevertheless, Trump had declined to recognize Machado as Venezuela’s new leader, despite the widespread belief among opposition supporters that her movement won the country’s disputed 2024 election.
Instead, Washington threw its support behind Maduro’s long-time ally and vice-president, Delcy Rodríguez, who was sworn in as acting president. Later, Trump has poured cold water on hopes of an immediate political transition and described Machado as “a very nice woman [who] … doesn’t have the support or the respect within the country” to govern.
By contrast, he also praised Rodríguez and noted that “She’s essentially willing to do what we think is necessary to make Venezuela great again”. As a result, analysts see that Machado’s decision to hand over her medal is as an effort to regain her influence in Washington. However, her political fortunes also appear to be fading.
The Nobel Peace Prize officials have rejected any sharing of the Prize
Earlier this week, Nobel Peace Prize officials strongly reiterated that the award cannot be shared or reassigned, after Machado told Fox News she wanted to “share” it with Trump. “The decision is final and stands for all time,” the committee said. Even so, Machado went ahead with the gesture. She has described it as a symbolic act.
Speaking to reporters, she compared the moment to an episode in 1825. In that year, the Marquis de Lafayette had sent a gold medal that bears a George Washington’s image to Simón Bolívar. She called that gesture as “a sign of the brotherhood between the people of the US and the people of Venezuela in their fight for freedom against tyranny”.
Machado is not the first person to give up their Nobel Prize. Ernest Hemingway gave his literature medal to the Catholic Church in Cuba, while Russian journalist Dmitry Muratov auctioned his prize to fund aid for Ukrainian children. By contrast, Machado’s move is widely seen as a appeasement to the US.
US backs Rodríguez as tensions continue in Venezuela
At the same time, the White House defended Trump’s stance on not to back Machado, in place of Rodriguez. While defending him, they cited their concerns around security and stability of the country. Press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the president’s decision was based on “realities on the ground” and advice from his national security team. “At this moment in time, his opinion on that matter has not changed”, she added.
Leavitt confirmed that Rodríguez’s interim administration has been working closely with the US officials and had complied with several requests. The request that also includes the release of five American citizens from Venezuelan prisons. While Trump remains committed to elections “one day”, Leavitt also emphasized that there is no timetable with her to show the public.
Meanwhile, Rodríguez condemned the US operation during her State of the Union address in Caracas. She called it as “the greatest ever stain on US-Venezuela relations”. Even so, she signaled a willingness to engage diplomatically. She said, “If it one days falls to me, as acting president, to go to Washington, I’ll do it standing tall, not crawling”.
Web Resources on the Nobel Peace Prize given to Trump
1. BBC.com: Venezuelan Nobel Peace Prize winner presents her medal to Trump
2. NYTimes.com: Machado Presents Trump With Her Nobel Peace Prize
3. FoxNews.com: Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado presents Nobel medal to Trump despite institute ban
4. AcademicBlock.com: Venezuela releases political prisoners under US Pressure