Washington Meeting Sparks Debate as Venezuelan Laureate Hands Nobel Medal to Trump

Venezuelan opposition leader and 2025 Nobel Peace Prize laureate María Corina Machado presented the medal associated with her Nobel Peace Prize to U.S. President Donald Trump during a private meeting at the White House. This symbolic gesture has drawn significant international attention and raised questions about political intent and protocol.

Machado, honored by the Nobel Committee for her long‑standing efforts to advance democratic rights in Venezuela, said the gesture was meant to recognize what she described as Trump’s “unique commitment” to Venezuela’s struggle for freedom. She linked the act to a historical tradition of symbolic exchanges between liberation movements, invoking the relationship between the Marquis de Lafayette and Simón Bolívar.

Although Trump accepted the medal, the Norwegian Nobel Committee reiterated that Nobel Prizes cannot be transferred, shared, or reassigned, emphasizing that Machado remains the sole laureate and that only the physical medal—not the title—can be passed on.

The meeting occurred less than two weeks after U.S. forces captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in Caracas, a development that has reshaped Venezuela’s political landscape. Despite Machado’s claim to leadership following the disputed 2024 elections, Trump has so far backed interim leader Delcy Rodríguez, Maduro’s former vice president, citing assessments from his national security team.

Machado also met with U.S. senators during her Washington visit, where supporters gathered outside, chanting her name and waving Venezuelan flags. Her outreach appears aimed at persuading the U.S. administration to shift its support toward her opposition coalition during Venezuela’s political transition.

The exchange of the medal—while legally symbolic—has intensified political debate in both countries, highlighting the intersection of diplomacy, personal recognition, and Venezuela’s ongoing struggle for democratic governance.