Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado handed over her Nobel Peace Prize medal to US President Donald Trump during a meeting at the White House on Thursday, calling the gesture “a recognition for his unique commitment to our freedom.”
Speaking later to Fox News, Machado said Trump “deserves it,” describing the moment as emotional. Trump subsequently posted on social media that Machado had left the medal with him to keep, calling it “a wonderful gesture of mutual respect.”
However, the Norwegian Nobel Institute and the Nobel Committee moved quickly to clarify that the handover has no legal or symbolic effect. Under the Nobel Foundation’s statutes, a Nobel Peace Prize cannot be transferred, shared or reassigned once awarded. While a laureate
may dispose of the physical medal or prize money, the title and honour remain permanently with the recipient. As a result, Machado remains the official Nobel Peace Prize laureate; Trump may possess the medal, but does not become a laureate.
Machado received the Nobel Peace Prize last year for her efforts to promote democratic rights in Venezuela and to steer the country away from authoritarian rule. When the award was announced in October 2025, she dedicated it to the Venezuelan people and praised Trump for backing Venezuela’s democratic movement.
The episode sparked criticism in Norway. Lawmakers and commentators said accepting another person’s Nobel Prize undermines the prestige of the prize. Some described the move as unprecedented and disrespectful, warning it could further politicise the award.
Reaction online was sharply divided. Several critics questioned Trump’s acceptance of the medal and Machado’s decision to hand it over, while a smaller number of users defended the act as symbolic and aimed at winning international support for Venezuela’s opposition.
Despite the gesture, Trump has continued to signal support for Venezuela’s current leadership contingent on alignment with Washington’s strategic interests, including access to the country’s oil reserves.
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