President Donald Trump welcomed Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado to the White House on Thursday, where she presented him with the medal she received as part of her Nobel Peace Prize honor.
Machado, who leads Venezuela’s center-right Vente Venezuela party, was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize last year in recognition of her efforts to advance democratic principles in her nation, which has suffered under authoritarian rule. The president had publicly advocated for her recognition by the Nobel Committee.
“It was a Great Honor to meet Maria Corina Machado, of Venezuela, today,” Trump stated following the meeting. “She is a wonderful woman who has been through so much. Maria presented me with her Nobel Peace Prize for the work I have done. Such a wonderful gesture of mutual respect.”
In presenting the medal, Machado characterized it as representing the shared commitment between the Venezuelan and American peoples to the principles of freedom, sovereignty, and democratic governance. She described the gesture as an expression of gratitude for American support of the Venezuelan people’s struggle to restore popular sovereignty and independence in their nation.
The presentation follows recent American military operations that resulted in the capture of Venezuela’s authoritarian president, Nicolas Maduro. Machado had publicly announced her intention to present the medal to Trump earlier this month in recognition of that action.
The Norwegian Nobel Committee and Norwegian Nobel Institute issued a clarification regarding the unprecedented transfer, noting that while the prize itself cannot be revoked, shared, or transferred, and the title of laureate remains permanent, physical medals may change ownership. The committee reiterated this position on Thursday, stating that “A medal can change owners, but the title of a Nobel Peace Prize laureate cannot.”
During her visit to Washington, Machado also met with lawmakers from both parties at the Capitol, seeking to build bipartisan support for the Venezuelan opposition’s cause.
“I want to assure you that we are going to turn Venezuela into a free and safe country, and into the strongest ally the United States has ever had in this region,” she told American officials.
The meeting represents a significant moment in American engagement with Venezuelan opposition forces. For years, the United States has maintained that Maduro’s regime lacks legitimacy, particularly following disputed elections that international observers have questioned. Machado herself has faced persecution from the Maduro government, including being barred from holding public office despite her popularity among Venezuelan voters.
The gesture of presenting her Nobel medal to the American president underscores the degree to which Venezuelan opposition leaders view American support as essential to their cause. It also reflects the personal relationship Trump has cultivated with anti-authoritarian movements in Latin America, a region where American influence has waned in recent decades as rival powers have expanded their presence.
The question of Venezuela’s future remains unresolved, though Maduro’s capture has created unprecedented uncertainty about the nation’s political trajectory. What remains clear is that the Venezuelan opposition views this moment as decisive in their long struggle to restore democratic governance to their country.
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