Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado on Thursday presented her Nobel Peace Prize medal to President Donald Trump during a White House lunch, a striking gesture as she tries to shape how Washington steers her country’s political future.
Trump Praises Nobel Gesture As Mutual Respect
In a post on Thursday evening on Truth Social, Trump wrote, “Maria presented me with her Nobel Peace Prize for the work I have done. Such a wonderful gesture of mutual respect. Thank you Maria!”
According to a Reuters report, Machado, who called the meeting “excellent,” said the gift recognized what she described as Trump’s commitment to the freedom of the Venezuelan people. A White House official told reporters Trump intends to keep the medal.
Her bid to win influence comes after Trump brushed aside suggestions that she be installed as Venezuela’s leader following the US capture of President Nicolás Maduro in a “snatch-and-grab” operation this month. Trump aggressively lobbied for the Nobel before Machado received it last year and publicly complained when he was passed over.
Nobel Rules Mean Medal Gift Symbolic Only
Though Machado handed over the gold medal that accompanies the prize, the title remains hers. The Norwegian Nobel Institute has stressed the award cannot be “revoked, shared, or transferred to others,” a clarification it reiterated after Trump and Machado floated the idea of sharing the honor.
Asked on Wednesday if he wanted her to give him the prize, Trump told Reuters, “No, I didn’t say that. She won the Nobel Peace Prize.” The Republican president has long tied his Nobel ambitions to diplomatic moves, including cease-fire deals and his hard line on Caracas.
Machado Courts Trump While Eyeing Venezuela Transition
According to a separate Associated Press account, Thursday’s lunch, which lasted a little over an hour, was their first in-person encounter. Machado later met more than a dozen Republican and Democratic senators, where she has generally found warmer backing than inside Trump’s inner circle, according to lawmakers.
Machado, who fled Venezuela in a clandestine sea escape in December, is vying for Trump’s ear against figures inside Venezuela’s government, including interim President Delcy Rodríguez, as she seeks a role in any future transition. Opposition activists and US allies across Latin America hope Maduro’s removal will open a path to genuine elections, though analysts warn Venezuela’s democratic revival is far from guaranteed.
Photo Courtesy: Bertil Jonsson On Shutterstock.com
Recent Comments