US President Donald Trump said he felt deeply honoured after meeting Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado, stating that she presented him with her Nobel Peace Prize during their discussions at the White House.
The interaction marked the first face-to-face meeting between the two figures.
Sharing details in a social media post following the meeting, Trump stated, “It was my Great Honor to meet María Corina Machado, of Venezuela, today. She is a wonderful woman who has been through so much. María presented me with her Nobel Peace Prize for the work I have done. Such a wonderful gesture of mutual respect. Thank you María!”
The meeting took place over lunch in the White House’s Private Dining Room and was conducted behind closed doors, drawing attention due to its symbolic and political significance.
Speaking to reporters later, Machado said she offered Trump the Nobel Peace Prize medal as a symbolic gesture rooted in the shared democratic history of Venezuela and the United States.
She explained that she reminded Trump of an event from 200 years ago, when French General Marquis de Lafayette gifted Venezuelan independence leader Simón Bolívar a medal bearing the image of George Washington, which Bolívar reportedly kept for the rest of his life.
Drawing on that comparison, Machado mentioned, “Two hundred years in history, the people of Bolivar are giving back to the heir of Washington a medal, in this case, the medal of the Nobel Peace Prize as a recognition for his unique commitment to our freedom.”
The Norwegian Nobel Institute has stated that once awarded, the Nobel Peace Prize cannot be transferred, shared, or revoked, underscoring that Machado’s action was purely symbolic.
Bipartisan Meetings on Capitol Hill
Following her White House engagement, Machado travelled to Capitol Hill, where she took part in a bipartisan meeting with US senators hosted by Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin and Senate Foreign Relations Committee Ranking Member Jeanne Shaheen.
Durbin described Machado as ‘an extraordinary person who is completely deserving of the Nobel Peace Prize after having risked her life to bring about change to the Venezuelan government and people’.
Shaheen cautioned that ‘removing a dictator is not the same as restoring democracy’, warning that Venezuela must not ‘simply transition from one authoritarian to another’.
Lawmakers from both Republican and Democratic parties praised Machado’s leadership and bravery, while some also voiced criticism of the Trump administration’s handling of Venezuela after the removal of Nicolas Maduro.
Machado’s visit to the United States followed a private meeting earlier this week with Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican, where she appealed for help in securing the release of political prisoners.
She returned to public view in December after spending 11 months in hiding to formally receive the Nobel Peace Prize in Norway.
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