Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado presented her Nobel Peace Prize medal to U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday during a White House meeting, aiming to bolster his influence over her country’s political future.
A White House official confirmed that Trump plans to keep the medal.
In a social media post Thursday evening, Trump wrote: “Maria presented me with her Nobel Peace Prize for the work I have done. Such a wonderful gesture of mutual respect. Thank you, Maria!”
Machado, who called the meeting “excellent,” said the gift honored what she described as Trump’s commitment to the freedom of the Venezuelan people.
The White House later shared a photo of Trump and Machado, showing the president holding a large, gold-colored frame displaying the medal. The accompanying text read: “To President Donald J. Trump In Gratitude for Your Extraordinary Leadership in Promoting Peace through Strength,” calling the gift a “personal symbol of gratitude on behalf of the Venezuelan people.”
Machado's attempt to sway Trump came after he dismissed the idea of installing her as Venezuela's leader to replace the deposed Nicolás Maduro.
Trump openly campaigned for the prize before Machado was awarded it last month and complained bitterly when he was snubbed.
Though Machado gave Trump the gold medal that laureates receive with the prize, the honor remains hers. The Norwegian Nobel Institute has said the prize cannot be transferred, shared, or revoked.
Asked Wednesday if he wanted Machado to give him the prize, Trump told Reuters: "No, I didn't say that. She won the Nobel Peace Prize."
The Republican president has long expressed interest in winning the prize and has at times linked it to diplomatic achievements.
The lunch meeting, which appeared to last slightly over an hour, marked the first time the two met in person.
Machado later met with more than a dozen senators, both Republican and Democratic, on Capitol Hill, where she has generally found more enthusiastic allies.
During the visit, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump had looked forward to meeting Machado but stood by his "realistic" assessment that she did not currently have the support needed to lead the country in the short term.
Machado, who fled the South American nation in a daring seaborne escape in December, is competing for Trump's ear with members of Venezuela's government and seeking to ensure she has a role in governing the nation going forward. After the United States captured Maduro in a snatch-and-grab operation this month, opposition figures, members of Venezuela's diaspora, and politicians throughout the U.S. and Latin America expressed hope for Venezuela to begin a process of democratization.
Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy, one of the senators who met with Machado, said the opposition leader told senators that repression in Venezuela was no different now than under Maduro.
Venezuela's interim President Delcy Rodriguez is a "smooth operator" who was growing more entrenched by the day thanks to Trump's support, Murphy said.
"I hope elections happen, but I'm skeptical," said Murphy, of Connecticut.
Trump has said he is focused on securing U.S. access to the country's oil and economically rebuilding Venezuela. He has on several occasions praised Rodríguez, Maduro's second-in-command, who became Venezuela's leader upon his capture. In an interview with Reuters Wednesday, Trump said, "She's been very good to deal with."
Machado was banned from running in Venezuela's 2024 presidential election by a top court stacked with Maduro allies.
Outside observers widely believe Edmundo Gonzalez, an opposition figure backed by Machado, won by a substantial margin, but Maduro claimed victory and retained power. While the current government has freed dozens of political prisoners in recent days, outside groups and advocates have said the scale of the releases has been exaggerated by Caracas. In an annual address to lawmakers, Rodríguez called for diplomacy with the United States and said that should she need to travel to Washington, she would do so "walking on her feet, not dragged there."
She also said she would propose reforms to her country's oil industry aimed at increasing access for foreign investors.
