Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado said on Thursday that she presented Donald Trump with the Nobel Peace Prize medal she won in 2025.
After meeting with President Trump and congressional lawmakers, Machado told reporters she gifted the medal “as a recognition for [President Trump's] unique commitment with our freedom.”
“What is happening at this moment is historic, not just for the future of Venezuela, but for the future of freedom in the world,” Machado said.
She said she sought to build a "new, genuine electoral process" for Venezuela.
Machado also mentioned Edmundo González, the acknowledged president-elect of Venezuela.
“I have insisted — and I will continue to insist — that Venezuela has a president-elect, and I am very proud to work alongside him,” Machado said.
Machado, a longtime opposition political leader, has been traveling globally to gain support from world leaders, including a recent meeting with Pope Leo. While she has received backing from many international figures and members of Congress who believe she should lead Venezuela, she has yet to receive Trump's full endorsement.
The Nobel Peace Prize is not formally transferrable
Before her meeting with President Trump, Machado had offered to share a Nobel Peace Prize she won in 2025 for promoting democracy in Venezuela.
President Trump has spoken often about his desire to earn the same prize, and said he would be "honored" to accept Machado's prize if she offered it to him.
The Nobel Prize Committee has made clear that formal ownership of an awarded prize cannot be transferred.
President Trump has not yet commented on whether Machado presented the award to him.
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Venezuela's future following U.S. intervention
Key questions remain about the U.S. military's long-term role in Venezuela, when elections might occur, and who Trump will ultimately support as the country's leader.
The United States conducted a “large-scale strike” early in January in Venezuela and captured its president, Nicolás Maduro, flying him and his wife out of the country.
Hours after the operation, President Trump said that the U.S. would "run the country" until there is a proper transition.
Meanwhile, Venezuela’s vice president, Delcy Rodríguez, was sworn in as interim president following the removal of Maduro. White House officials have said she has been cooperative with the administration.
