Washington, Jan 16 (V7N)- Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado met with U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House on Thursday (January 15) and presented him with her Nobel Peace Prize medal as a symbolic gesture of appreciation. The meeting marked the first face-to-face encounter between the two leaders. 

Machado, who won the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize for her efforts to promote democratic rights and push for a peaceful transition in Venezuela, said she gave Trump the medal in recognition of what she described as his commitment to the freedom of the Venezuelan people. She likened the gesture to historic acts of mutual respect and solidarity between the peoples of the United States and Venezuela. 

President Trump later expressed his gratitude on social media, calling her gesture a “wonderful sign of mutual respect.” He praised Machado as a “wonderful woman who has been through so much.” 

However, the Norwegian Nobel Institute has made clear that Nobel Prizes “cannot be revoked, shared, or transferred”—meaning the official title of Nobel Peace Prize laureate remains with Machado, even if she has gifted the physical medal. 

Despite the symbolic presentation, Trump has not committed to supporting Machado’s leadership role in Venezuela following the ousting of former President Nicolás Maduro. Critics say the gesture highlights Machado’s attempt to strengthen U.S. support amid ongoing political uncertainty in Venezuela. 

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