Bogotá, Colombia – In a visit to the White House yesterday, Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado gifted her Nobel Peace Prize to U.S. President Donald Trump.
Machado described the gesture as a symbol of Venezuelans’ gratitude for Trump’s removal of longtime strongman Nicolás Maduro earlier this month in a military operation.
While the Nobel Committee clarified the honor itself cannot be transferred, the move has ignited a wave of both criticism and praise from around the world.
“I presented the President of the United States the medal of the Nobel Peace Prize,” Machado told reporters outside the White House on Thursday, describing it as “a recognition for his unique commitment with our freedom.”
Trump later confirmed he had accepted the prize, writing on Truth Social: “María presented me with her Nobel Peace Prize for the work I have done. Such a wonderful gesture of mutual respect.”
Despite the gesture, the Nobel Committee quickly clarified that the move did not change the winner of the 2025 prize, writing, “a medal can change owners, but the title of a Nobel peace prize laureate cannot.”
It had previously warned the prize cannot be “revoked, shared, or transferred,” after Machado suggested she would like to give it to Trump shortly after he deposed Maduro.
The Venezuelan opposition leader had previously called on Washington to intervene against the Maduro regime to restore democracy; however, in the days following its operation in Caracas, the White House said it would allow the Chavista government to remain in place, snubbing Machado.
Multiple Norwegian politicians criticized the transfer, saying it damaged the reputation of the Nobel peace prize.
“This is, above all, absurd. The peace prize cannot be given away,” said Kirsti Bergstø, the leader of the Norwegian Socialist Left party.
Raymond Johansen, the secretary general of Norwegian People’s Aid and former governing mayor of Oslo, warned the move threatened the integrity of the Nobel prize.
“This is unbelievably embarrassing and damaging to one of the world’s most recognised and important prizes,” he wrote on Facebook.
But some Machado supporters praised the move as an important step towards bringing democracy to Venezuela.
“The presentation of this award represents a show of support for the commitment to democracy and security, and to the fight for freedom and peace in both Venezuela and the region,” Juan Carlos Viloria Doria, President, Global Alliance for Human Rights, and Vice President, Venezuelans in Barranquilla, told Latin America Reports.
However, it remains unclear how Venezuelans inside the country view Machado’s move.
“The problem is that there is no credible polling right now because the security situation doesn’t allow the fieldwork to take place, so it’s really impossible to say how people are reacting to this,” said Phil Gunson, Senior Andes Analyst at International Crisis Group.
He told Latin America Reports that state repression also makes it hard to gauge how much support Machado has as an opposition leader.
Despite receiving the prize, Trump has yet to indicate any change in policy regarding Venezuela, with CIA Director John Ratcliffe meeting with President Delcy Rodríguez in Caracas today.
Featured image description: Maria Corina Machado gifting Trump her Nobel peace prize at the White House.
Featured image credit: @WhiteHouse via X.
