President Trump Accepts Nobel Peace Prize From Venezuelan Opposition Leader María Corina Machado
on Jan 15, 2026
Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado said Thursday (January 15) that she presented President Donald Trump with her Nobel Peace Prize medal. Machado described it as a “historic gesture,” recognizing his role in defending freedom and resisting tyranny.
She made the comments while speaking with reporters outside the U.S. Capitol after being asked about the exchange.
“I presented the president of the United States the medal … the Nobel Peace Prize, and I told him, ‘Listen to this, 200 years ago, General Lafayette gave Simón Bolívar a medal with George Washington’s face on it,” Machado said. “He kept that medal for the rest of his life. Actually, when you see his portraits, you can see the medal.”
Trump Expresses Gratitude To Machado For The Honor
Trump thanked Machado for the medal in a Truth Social post on Thursday night.
“It was my Great Honor to meet María Corina Machado, of Venezuela, today,” Trump wrote. “She is a wonderful woman who has been through so much. María presented me with her Nobel Peace Prize for the work I have done. Such a wonderful gesture of mutual respect. Thank you María!”
Despite Machado’s gesture, the Norwegian Nobel Institute shut down the idea, saying the prize could not be shared.
“Once a Nobel Prize is announced, it cannot be revoked, shared, or transferred to others,” the institute said in a statement. “The decision is final and stands for all time.”
Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro Arrested Under Trump’s Order
Machado’s visit comes just two weeks after Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were arrested by U.S. Special Forces troops in an armed land strike in Caracas, Venezuela.
The tension between the United States and Venezuela dates back to Venezuela’s 2018 election, which was allegedly marred by election interference by Maduro.
Since September, there have been significant airstrikes conducted by the United States against alleged narcoterrorists transporting drugs in boats to the United States.
By December 2025, Trump had designated the Venezuelan regime under President Nicolás Maduro as a terrorist organization, announcing that a blockade had been established with the largest Naval armada “ever assembled in South America.”
