The Nobel Foundation on Sunday issued a statement rejecting the transfer of a Nobel Peace Prize after Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado said she had “presented” her medal to US President
Donald Trump.
In a post on X, the Foundation stressed that one of its core missions is to safeguard the dignity of the prizes and uphold the stipulations of Alfred Nobel’s will.
“One of the core missions of the Nobel Foundation is to safeguard the dignity of the Nobel Prizes and their administration. The Foundation upholds Alfred Nobel’s will and its stipulations,” the Nobel Foundation stated.
Statement from the Nobel Foundation
One of the core missions of the Nobel Foundation is to safeguard the dignity of the Nobel Prizes and their administration. The Foundation upholds Alfred Nobel’s will and its stipulations. It states that the prizes shall be awarded to those who… pic.twitter.com/WIadOBLtpD
— The Nobel Prize (@NobelPrize) January 18, 2026
The statement said the prizes are awarded only to those who “have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind” and clearly define who has the right to receive them.
“A prize can therefore not, even symbolically, be passed on or further distributed,” the statement firmly added.
Machado met Trump at the White House on Thursday and handed him a framed Nobel Peace Prize medal. “To President Donald J Trump – In gratitude for your extraordinary leadership in promoting peace through strength, advancing diplomacy and defending liberty and prosperity,” a message accompanying the medal said.
Trump had described the gesture as “wonderful” and shared a photograph of the medal on social media, thanking Machado. He has repeatedly expressed interest in the Nobel Peace Prize and has previously questioned why former President Barack Obama was awarded it.
(With inputs from agencies)
