Washington DC (US)

Following the much-anticipated meeting with US President Donald Trump, almost two weeks after US strikes on Caracas, Venezuelan opposition leader and Nobel laureate Maria Corina Machado on Thursday said that she had presented her Nobel Peace Prize medal to Trump at the White House, describing the gesture as recognition for his support for Venezuelan freedom and democratic efforts.

Speaking to reporters following her meeting with Trump, Machado, who won the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize for her role in championing democratic rights and a peaceful transition in Venezuela, said that she gave the medal as a symbol of appreciation for his "unique commitment to our freedom".

"I presented the President of the United States the medal...the Nobel Peace Prize, and I told him this: 200 years ago, General Lafayette gave Simon Bolivar a medal with George Washington's face on it. Bolivar, since then, kept that medal for the rest of his life. It was given as a symbol of brotherhood to showcase the relation between the people of the US and Venezuela," Machado said.

"Two hundred years in history, the people of Bolivar are giving back to the heir of Washington a medal, in this case the medal of the Nobel Peace Prize, as a recognition for his unique commitment to our freedom," she added.

President Trump also acknowledged Machado's gesture, calling it "a wonderful gesture of mutual respect" in a post on Truth Social and thanked her for the medal.

"It was my Great Honor to meet Maria Corina Machado, of Venezuela, today. 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. Thank you, Maria!" the post read.

The White House, in a post on X, also confirmed that Trump had accepted the Nobel Peace Prize medal.

President Donald J. Trump meets with María Corina Machado of Venezuela in the Oval Office, during which she presented the President with her Nobel Peace Prize in recognition and honor.🕊️ pic.twitter.com/v7pYHjVNVO

— The White House (@WhiteHouse) January 16, 2026

"President Donald J. Trump meets with Maria Corina Machado of Venezuela in the Oval Office, during which she presented the President with her Nobel Peace Prize in recognition and honor," the White House said in its post.

However, according to statements from the Norwegian Nobel Committee and the Norwegian Nobel Institute, once a Nobel Prize is awarded, it cannot be withdrawn, shared, or passed on to another individual, and the decision is permanent and remains in effect indefinitely.

The meeting between Machado and Trump took place amid heightened US-Venezuela relations, following recent developments, including the US capture of former Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro.

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On January 3, the US launched a "large-scale strike" in the South American country, which led to the capture of its leader, Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores.

Maduro and Flores were flown out of the country in a joint operation involving intelligence agencies and US law enforcement. They were indicted on charges of alleged "drug trafficking and narco-terrorism conspiracies" in the Southern District of New York and are currently facing trial.