“Machado gave Trump his own Nobel Prize.”

 

Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado handed over her Nobel Peace Prize medal to U.S. President Donald Trump last Thursday.

Machado took this step in an effort to mend her strained relationship with Trump after Nicolás Maduro was removed from power.

The news was reported by AFP from Washington. Earlier, Trump had said that he deserved to receive the Nobel Peace Prize.

Even after Maduro was captured in a U.S. military operation on January 3, Trump did not support Machado. Instead, he backed Maduro’s vice president, Delcy Rodríguez, on one condition: that she follow Washington’s directives, especially ensuring U.S. access to Venezuela’s vast oil resources.

After a luncheon with Trump at the White House, Machado told reporters on Capitol Hill,
“I handed over the Nobel Peace Prize medal to the President of the United States.”

The 58-year-old leader said it was “a recognition of his unique commitment to our freedom.”

However, it is unclear whether Trump has kept the medal.

The Norwegian Nobel Committee, meanwhile, stated that there is no provision for transferring the prize to another person.

Last year, Trump actively campaigned to win the Nobel Peace Prize, claiming he deserved it for efforts to stop eight wars.

However, the prize was awarded to Machado, who formally received it last month in Oslo, Norway.

Machado attended the ceremony after fleeing Venezuela by sea, and it was then that she dedicated the prize to Trump.

Venezuelan opposition groups have alleged that Maduro rigged the 2024 election, depriving Machado’s party candidate Edmundo González Urrutia of victory.

Washington has also supported this claim.

However, Trump said that Machado did not have sufficient popular support, which is why he chose Rodríguez, a former close ally of Maduro.

On Wednesday, Trump and Rodríguez held their first telephone conversation. The White House said Trump was “satisfied” with Venezuela’s interim leadership.

Meanwhile, Rodríguez said on Thursday that her government is not afraid of diplomatic confrontation with the United States.

She said,
“We know how powerful they are. We know they are a nuclear power. But we are not afraid of them. We will confront them through diplomatic and political dialogue.”

As Maduro is currently imprisoned in New York on drug trafficking charges, Rodríguez delivered the national address in parliament in his place.

On the other hand, Machado—who has led a long movement to remove Maduro from power—received a cheerful public reception as she exited the White House.

Her meeting with Trump has brought the discussion of democratic transition back into focus.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Machado is “a brave and extraordinary voice for the Venezuelan people.”

However, the Trump administration has not provided any timeline for when elections might take place in Venezuela.

After Maduro’s arrest, Trump declared that the United States would now ‘run’ Venezuela.

To enforce this, pressure is being applied through naval blockades and threats of military strikes. However, Trump has indicated he does not object to Rodríguez remaining in power as long as oil flows continue as promised.

In this context, U.S. forces seized Venezuela’s sixth oil tanker on Thursday as part of efforts to control the country’s energy sector.

Meanwhile, the first oil sale agreement mediated by the United States has been finalized.

A U.S. official told AFP that the deal is worth approximately $500 million, though the buyer’s name was not disclosed.

In her address, Rodríguez announced plans for legal reforms in the oil sector, where foreign participation is currently limited.

She did not provide further details.

Last week, several dozen political prisoners were released, though hundreds remain in jail. The impact of the lightning operation that removed Maduro from power is still being felt.

Last Thursday, a memorial ceremony was held in Cuba to honor 32 Cuban soldiers who were killed during that operation. Some of the deceased were members of Maduro’s personal security team.

Cuban revolutionary leader Raúl Castro attended the memorial ceremony.