Machado Gives Nobel Medal to Trump in White House Talks
- Machado handed her Nobel Peace Prize medal to Trump during a White House meeting.
- Trump expressed gratitude online while Nobel officials restated medal rules.
- The meeting followed a debate over Venezuela’s leadership and election timing.
Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado met Donald J. Trump at the White House on Thursday and presented him with her Nobel Peace Prize medal during the talks. A White House official confirmed Trump plans to keep the medal, despite rules stating the prize is not transferable.
Machado described the meeting as “excellent” and said the gesture recognized Trump’s commitment to the freedom of the Venezuelan people. The White House later shared a photo showing Trump holding a gold-colored framed display containing the medal and a dedication message.
The inscription addressed Trump directly and thanked him for what it called extraordinary leadership in promoting peace through strength. It described the medal as a personal symbol of gratitude on behalf of the Venezuelan people.
White House Meeting and Political Context
Machado’s visit followed Trump’s earlier decision to dismiss the idea of installing her as Venezuela’s leader after the removal of Nicolás Maduro. Reports linked that decision to strained relations between Machado and members of Trump’s team.
Concerns also centered on whether Machado’s movement could manage Venezuela’s internal security situation. These factors reportedly shaped Trump’s reluctance to offer direct political backing.
During the meeting, Machado said she offered the medal in recognition of Trump’s “principled and decisive action to secure a free Venezuela.” The Nobel Committee has reiterated that Nobel Peace Prize medals cannot be transferred.
Symbolism and Public Reactions
Speaking to reporters, Machado compared the gesture to an 1825 moment when the Marquis de Lafayette sent a gold medal honoring George Washington to Simón Bolívar. She described that act as a symbol of shared struggle against tyranny.
After the closed-door meeting, Machado greeted supporters near the White House gates. She hugged several people and told the crowd, “We can count on President Trump,” prompting brief chants thanking him.
Trump later posted on Truth Social that Machado presented him with her Nobel Peace Prize for work he claimed to have done. He called the gesture a sign of mutual respect and thanked her publicly.
Prize Rules, Market Context, and Open Questions
Despite Trump’s statement, uncertainty remains over whether he formally accepted the medal. He did not share an image of it, and the Nobel Peace Center repeated its rules on possession.
Machado received the award last year for her struggle against Maduro’s authoritarian government. She last appeared publicly in Norway, where her daughter accepted the prize on her behalf, after Machado spent 11 months in hiding.
Related: SEC’s Cryptic Stance on US Seizure of Venezuela’s Bitcoin
Trump has offered few details on future elections in Venezuela and provided no timetable during the discussion. That lack of clarity raises a central question: can symbolic gestures shift concrete policy outcomes?
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