Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado said Thursday she had presented her Nobel Peace Prize medal to US President Donald Trump in a bid to win his support after he sidelined her following the ouster of Nicolás Maduro.
Trump called the gesture a “wonderful display of mutual respect,” though he had previously suggested the prize should have gone to him and refused to back Machado following the January 3 US military operation to capture Maduro.
“He deserves it, and it was a very emotional moment,” Machado told Fox News.
Despite Machado’s overture, Trump has continued to support Maduro’s former vice president, Delcy Rodríguez, provided she aligns with Washington’s interests, particularly regarding access to Venezuela’s oil reserves.
“I presented the president of the United States the medal of the Nobel Peace Prize,” Machado said outside the US Capitol after meeting with lawmakers following a White House lunch. She described the gift as “recognition for his unique commitment to our freedom.” It is unclear whether Trump kept the medal, and the Norwegian Nobel Committee notes that its prizes cannot be transferred.
Machado vs. Rodríguez
Machado, 58, received the Nobel Peace Prize last month in Oslo, dedicating it to Trump after a daring escape from Venezuela. The opposition party she represents claims Maduro stole the 2024 election from her ally Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia, a position supported by Washington.
Trump, however, has argued that Machado lacks broad support among Venezuelans, opting instead to maintain contact with Rodríguez. The White House said Thursday that Trump “likes what he’s seeing” from Venezuela’s interim leaders, following the first phone call between Trump and Rodríguez on Wednesday.
Rodríguez, delivering Maduro’s state of the nation address while the toppled leader remains jailed in New York on drug trafficking charges, stressed that her government is “not afraid” of diplomatic tensions with Washington.
By contrast, Machado was greeted by jubilant supporters as she left the White House. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt described Machado as “a remarkable and brave voice for many of the people of Venezuela” while noting that Trump is “committed to hopefully seeing elections in Venezuela one day,” without providing a timeline.
Since Maduro’s capture, the US has sought to exert control over Venezuela’s oil sector, seizing a sixth tanker on Thursday and completing the first US-brokered sale of Venezuelan oil, worth approximately $500 million. Rodríguez announced legal reforms for the sector but gave no specifics.
Washington has also welcomed the release of dozens of political prisoners, though hundreds remain jailed. Meanwhile, Cuba honored 32 soldiers killed during the US raid, some of whom had been assigned to Maduro’s protection team, in a ceremony attended by Raúl Castro.
AFP
