Washington: María Corina Machado, the Venezuelan opposition leader, has presented her Nobel Peace Prize medal to US President Donald Trump during a private meeting at the White House, describing the moment as historic for Venezuelans.
Speaking after the meeting, the first in-person encounter between the two leaders, Machado said the gesture symbolised gratitude for Trump’s support of Venezuela’s struggle for freedom. The meeting comes weeks after US forces detained President Nicolás Maduro in Caracas and charged him in a drug-trafficking case.
Trump acknowledged the gesture in a post on social media, calling it ‘a wonderful gesture of mutual respect’ and describing Machado as ‘a wonderful woman who has been through so much’. However, the US president has stopped short of formally endorsing her as Venezuela’s new leader.
María Corina Machado (@MariaCorinaYA) en reunión con senadores republicanos y demócratas en el Capitolio de los Estados Unidos. pic.twitter.com/5nQJDmiOzP
— Vocería Oficial de Venezuela (@voceriavzla) January 15, 2026
Instead, Washington has continued engagement with Delcy Rodríguez, the country’s acting head of state and former vice-president under Maduro. Trump has previously said Machado lacks sufficient domestic support to lead the country, despite her coalition claiming victory in the disputed 2024 elections.
Outside the White House, Machado addressed supporters gathered at the gates, telling them in Spanish, according to the Associated Press. The Nobel Committee clarified last week that while a medal can change ownership, the Nobel Peace Prize itself cannot be transferred. The Nobel Committee stated that, “Once a Nobel Prize is announced, it cannot be revoked, shared, or transferred to others. The decision is final and stands for all time.”
Before the meeting, the Nobel Peace Centre posted on X that, “A medal can change owners, but the title of a Nobel Peace Prize laureate cannot.” Machado defended her decision by referencing a historical parallel, recalling how the Marquis de Lafayette once gifted a medal bearing George Washington’s likeness to Simón Bolívar as a symbol of solidarity between freedom movements. She said her gesture was intended to reflect a similar spirit of brotherhood between the Venezuelan and American people.
During her visit to Washington, Machado also met with US senators and members of Congress. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said the administration viewed her as ‘a remarkable and brave voice for many of the people of Venezuela’ and confirmed Trump was expecting a ‘frank and positive discussion’ on the country’s future.
Since Maduro’s arrest on January 3, the Trump administration has rapidly reshaped policy toward Venezuela’s oil sector. An American official confirmed this week that the US completed its first sale of Venezuelan oil, valued at $500 million, following the easing of sanctions. US forces have also seized several tankers suspected of transporting sanctioned Venezuelan oil.
Meanwhile, a Venezuelan government envoy allied with Rodríguez is expected to travel to Washington to begin discussions on reopening Venezuela’s embassy. Trump and Rodríguez also held a phone call, which both sides later described as productive and respectful.
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