Venezuela’s opposition leader María Corina Machado visited the White House on Thursday bearing an unusual gift for President Donald Trump: her Nobel Peace Prize medal, awarded last year for her campaign for democratic reform.
Machado presented the medal to Trump as part of an effort to obtain the president’s backing in the contest to shape Venezuela’s post-Maduro future. A photo released by the White House showed Trump holding a large gold-framed plaque containing the medal and a dedication praising his “principled and decisive action to secure a free Venezuela.” Trump later wrote on Truth Social that Machado had presented him with the prize as a “wonderful gesture of mutual respect.”
The Oslo-based Nobel Peace Center promptly clarified that while a medal can change owners, the Nobel Peace Prize title cannot be shared or transferred.
Machado described the meeting as “historic” and “extraordinary,” saying the Trump administration understood the need to rebuild democratic institutions, protect human rights and launch a new electoral process. She reiterated that opposition candidate Edmundo González remains Venezuela’s president-elect following the disputed 2024 vote.
Nevertheless, the visit produced no clear endorsement. Trump continues to back the former Vice President Delcy Rodríguez as acting president, a stance that has unsettled many anti-Maduro figures. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump’s assessment that Machado lacks sufficient support to lead Venezuela “has not changed,” leaving her political future uncertain.
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