Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado said she symbolically presented her Nobel Peace Prize medal to U.S. President Donald Trump during a meeting at the White House, despite Trump previously questioning her credibility as a potential leader of Venezuela following the U.S.-led removal of former president Nicolás Maduro.
The Nobel Institute has clarified that Machado does not have the authority to formally give her prize to another individual, particularly to Trump, who has long expressed interest in receiving the award himself. Even so, the gesture carried notable symbolic weight, especially as the Trump administration has recently appeared to marginalize Machado while signaling openness to cooperation with interim President Delcy Rodríguez, Maduro’s former deputy.
“I presented the president of the United States with the Nobel Peace Prize medal,” Machado told reporters after leaving the White House and heading to Capitol Hill. She described the act as “a recognition of his unique commitment to our freedom.”
Trump later confirmed on social media that Machado had left the medal in his possession, calling it an honor to meet her. He praised her resilience and said the gesture reflected mutual respect, adding that the medal was given in acknowledgment of his actions.
The White House also released a photograph showing Machado standing beside Trump in the Oval Office as he held the framed medal. The inscription stated that it was presented as a personal symbol of gratitude on behalf of the Venezuelan people for Trump’s decisive and principled actions in support of a free Venezuela.
Despite the public display, Trump has continued to raise questions about his long-term commitment to restoring democratic governance in Venezuela. He offered no specific timeline for elections, and Machado acknowledged that their discussion did not produce clear assurances on that issue. She declined to elaborate further on the content of the meeting.
After the closed-door talks, Machado greeted supporters gathered near the White House gates, embracing many of them and stating that Venezuelans could rely on President Trump. Her remarks were met with brief chants expressing gratitude toward him.
Prior to her visit to Washington, Machado had not appeared publicly since traveling to Norway, where her daughter accepted the Nobel Peace Prize on her behalf. She had spent nearly a year in hiding inside Venezuela before emerging for the ceremony.
The celebratory atmosphere surrounding her U.S. visit contrasted sharply with conditions inside Venezuela. Delcy Rodríguez continues to oversee daily government operations alongside members of Maduro’s inner circle. In her first state of the union address as interim president, Rodríguez promoted renewed diplomatic engagement with the United States and called for increased foreign investment in the state-controlled oil sector.
Trump has previously stated that Machado would face serious challenges leading the country, citing what he described as limited internal support and respect. Nevertheless, her political movement is widely believed to have won the disputed 2024 elections that Maduro’s allies rejected.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt referred to Machado as a “remarkable and brave voice,” while emphasizing that the meeting did not alter Trump’s assessment of her political standing. She reiterated that the administration supports new Venezuelan elections “when the time is right,” without specifying a timeframe.
According to Leavitt, Machado requested the meeting without setting expectations, and the discussion lasted approximately two and a half hours. Officials characterized it as a candid and constructive exchange about the situation in Venezuela.
Following her White House visit, Machado met privately with a bipartisan group of U.S. senators. Senator Chris Murphy said she warned lawmakers that the absence of real progress toward a political transition or elections in the coming months should be a cause for concern. He added that Machado views Rodríguez as potentially more dangerous than Maduro himself.
Murphy noted that Machado did not receive concrete commitments from the administration regarding elections. In contrast, Republican Senator Bernie Moreno praised Trump’s actions, describing Maduro’s removal as one of the most significant developments in Latin America in recent years.
Machado’s visit coincided with U.S. naval operations in the Caribbean, where another sanctioned oil tanker allegedly linked to Venezuela was seized. These actions form part of a broader U.S. strategy to assert control over Venezuelan oil assets following Maduro’s capture and transfer to New York to face drug trafficking charges.
Leavitt said Venezuela’s interim authorities are cooperating fully with Washington and have pledged to release additional detainees held under Maduro’s rule. Five American citizens were among those freed this week.
Trump also confirmed that he recently held what he described as a productive conversation with Delcy Rodríguez, marking their first direct contact since Maduro was ousted. Nonetheless, he reiterated that Machado would face significant obstacles if she sought national leadership.
An industrial engineer and the daughter of a prominent steel executive, Machado entered national politics in 2004 after co-founding Súmate, an organization that promoted a recall referendum against then-president Hugo Chávez. The effort failed, and she later faced conspiracy charges.
In subsequent years, Machado continued to challenge Venezuela’s ruling establishment, including a controversial visit to Washington to meet President George W. Bush. Nearly two decades later, she mobilized millions of voters against Maduro in the 2024 election. Authorities loyal to the ruling party declared Maduro the winner despite substantial evidence to the contrary, triggering mass protests and a severe government crackdown.