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Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado presented her Nobel Peace Prize medal to U.S. President Donald Trump during a White House meeting on Thursday.
The gesture was widely perceived as an attempt to influence U.S. decisions on Venezuela’s political transition after the capture of former President Nicolas Maduro.
Trump confirmed the gift in a social media post, called it a gesture of mutual respect. The Norwegian Nobel Institute stated that the prize itself remains with Machado and cannot be transferred.
Machado described the meeting as excellent and said the gift recognized Trump’s commitment to Venezuelan freedom. The White House released a photo showing Trump holding the framed medal with a dedication thanking him for his leadership in promoting peace through strength.
The meeting marked the first in-person encounter between Trump and Machado.
It came as Trump openly supports Venezuela’s acting president Delcy Rodriguez. Rodriguez assumed power after U.S. forces seized Maduro earlier this month. Trump has praised Rodriguez in interviews and called her easy to deal with.
Machado later met U.S. senators on Capitol Hill. Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy said Machado told lawmakers repression in Venezuela remains unchanged. Murphy said he remains skeptical about elections under the current interim leadership.
She told supporters outside the White House that Venezuelans can count on Trump and that presenting the medal marked a historic day for her country. She later told journalists the gift recognized Donald Trump’s unique commitment to Venezuelan freedom.
Machado left the White House carrying a Trump-branded gift bag but she received no public promise of U.S. political backing.
Donald Trump has focused on securing US access to Venezuelan oil and stated that his priority lies in energy and economic recovery rather than immediate democratic restructuring.
The U.S. completed its first sale of Venezuelan oil this week, valued at $500 million. U.S. forces have seized several tankers suspected of transporting sanctioned Venezuelan oil. A Venezuelan government envoy is expected to visit Washington to discuss reopening the embassy.
Trump stunned opposition figures by backing Rodriguez as acting president instead of Machado or opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez. Machado insists Gonzalez won the disputed 2024 election. US officials previously recognized Gonzalez after the vote.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump views Machado as a brave voice but maintains she lacks sufficient domestic support to lead Venezuela at this time.
Rodriguez said she supports diplomacy with Washington and would travel there standing tall if needed. Trump and Rodriguez spoke by phone this week and both described the call as respectful and productive.
Machado remains banned from running for office by Venezuela’s top court. She fled the country in December by sea. She now seeks to secure a role in shaping Venezuela’s political future through US engagement.
Maria Corina Machado received the Nobel Peace Prize last year for her role in Venezuela’s democratic opposition movement.
Some observers had noted that her award aligned with a U.S.-backed opposition figure rather than signaling distance from U.S. influence in Venezuela’s political conflict. This week’s medal handover strengthened that reading.
Trump had openly campaigned for the Nobel Prize in the past and had expressed displeasure when he did not receive it. So, Machado presenting the medal during her White House meeting was received as a move intended to draw Trump closer to her vision for Venezuela’s post-Maduro leadership.
The meeting produced no public commitment from Trump to support her leadership bid. Machado left the White House with a photo opportunity and an official gift bag but without any announced shift in U.S. backing.
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