Venezuela's Nobel Laureate Hands Her Peace Prize Medal to Trump at the White House

On January 15, 2026, Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado gave her 2025 Nobel Peace Prize medal to President Trump during a White House meeting, calling it "a recognition for his unique commitment with our freedom." The meeting came weeks after U.S. forces seized Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in Caracas and charged him in a drug-trafficking case. Trump called the gesture "a wonderful gesture of mutual respect" and described Machado as "a wonderful woman who has been through so much."

The Norwegian Nobel Committee had already stated that the prize is not transferable: "Once a Nobel Prize is announced, it cannot be revoked, shared, or transferred to others. The decision is final and stands for all time." The Nobel Peace Center posted that "a medal can change owners, but the title of a Nobel Peace Prize laureate cannot." Trump had publicly expressed displeasure when the 2025 prize went to Machado.

Trump has not endorsed Machado as Venezuela's leader despite her movement's claim to have won the contested 2024 election, and has instead dealt with acting head of state Delcy Rodríguez, Maduro's former vice president.