Venezuelan Opposition Leader Machado Hands Over Nobel Medal in White House Meeting

Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado physically handed her Nobel Peace Prize medal to President Donald Trump on Thursday. The presentation occurred during a meeting at the White House, where Machado sought to solidify U.S. backing for her cause. She told reporters she presented the medal as a symbol of gratitude.
Machado drew on the history of the American and Venezuelan revolutions to explain the gift. She compared it to the Marquis de Lafayette’s gesture to Simon Bolivar, stating that the “people of Bolivar” were giving back to the “heir of Washington.” This narrative links the current crisis to the founding of both nations.
The gift lands with a President who has frequently expressed a desire for the Nobel Peace Prize. While Machado has provided the medal, the Norwegian Nobel Committee clarified that the prize itself is non-transferable. The honor remains Machado’s, a fact that the committee emphasized in a public statement.
Politically, the meeting was a gamble. Trump has previously dismissed Machado as unfit and has focused his strategy on pressuring interim president Delcy Rodriguez regarding U.S. oil firms. His willingness to use threats of force suggests a pragmatic approach that prioritizes economic interests.
Despite these challenges, Machado called the meeting “great” and expressed confidence in Trump. “We are counting on President Trump,” she said. The gift of the medal is a tangible sign of her commitment to the alliance, designed to appeal to the President’s personal and political ambitions.