Trump accepts Nobel medal from Venezuela’s Machado

WEB DESK: Given it’s not everyday that Nobel Peace Prize is handed over let alone to a sitting US President, the Nobel Peace Prize 2025 recipient Venezuelan opposition figure Maria Corina Machado has presented Donald Trump with her medal during a White House meeting on Thursday. The symbolic gesture is aimed at shaping Washington’s approach to Venezuela’s political future.

US officials confirmed that Trump, who has repeatedly shown his interest in receiving the prize, plans to keep the medal. In a social media post later in the day, the president said Machado had offered it in appreciation of what he described as his efforts, calling the move a sign of “mutual respect”.

Machado, who termed the meeting “excellent” without providing details, said the gesture reflected gratitude for Trump’s stated support for the freedom of the Venezuelan people. The White House subsequently released an image of Trump holding a framed display of the medal, accompanied by a message praising his leadership.

The exchange comes amid uncertainty over Venezuela’s direction following the capture of longtime leader Nicolas Maduro earlier this month. While opposition groups have voiced hopes of democratic change, Trump has made clear his priorities lie in restoring economic stability and securing access to Venezuela’s vast oil reserves rather than installing Machado as the country’s leader.

Although Machado physically handed over the medal, the Nobel honour remains hers, as prizes cannot be transferred. Trump, who has long expressed interest in winning the award himself, later insisted he had not sought it.

After meeting Trump, Machado held talks with lawmakers on Capitol Hill, where she found broader bipartisan sympathy for her cause, even as scepticism remains over Venezuela’s immediate prospects for democratic reform.