Venezuela's Machado Says She Presented Her Nobel Peace Prize To Trump During Their Meeting - Beritaja

Venezuelan guidance leader María Corina Machado waves to supporters connected Pennsylvania Avenue arsenic she leaves the White House aft gathering pinch President Donald Trump Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026, successful Washington. Pablo Martinez Monsivais/AP

Pablo Martinez Monsivais/AP

WASHINGTON — Venezuelan guidance leader María Corina Machado said she presented her Nobel Peace Prize badge to President Donald Trump astatine the White House connected Thursday moreover arsenic he has questioned her credibility to return complete her state aft the U.S. ousted then-President Nicolás Maduro.

The Nobel Institute has said Machado could not springiness her prize to Trump, an grant that he has coveted. Even if it the motion proves to beryllium purely symbolic, it was bonzer fixed that Trump has efficaciously sidelined Machado, who has agelong been the look of guidance successful Venezuela. He has signaled his willingness to activity pinch acting President Delcy Rodríguez, who had been Maduro's 2nd successful command.

"I presented the president of the United States the medal, the Nobel Peace Prize," Machado told reporters aft leaving the White House and heading to Capitol Hill. She said she had done truthful "as a nickname for his unsocial committedness pinch our freedom."

Trump confirmed later connected societal media that Machado had near the badge for him to keep, and he said it was an grant to meet her.

"She is simply a awesome female who has been done truthful much. María presented maine pinch her Nobel Peace Prize for the activity I person done," Trump said successful his post. "Such a awesome motion of communal respect. Thank you María!"

The White House later posted a photograph of Machado opinionated adjacent to Trump successful the Oval Office arsenic he holds the badge successful a ample frame. A matter successful the framework reads, "Presented arsenic a individual awesome of gratitude connected behalf of the Venezuelan group successful nickname of President Trump's opinionated and decisive action to unafraid a free Venezuela."

Trump has raised doubts about his stated committedness to backing antiauthoritarian norm successful Venezuela, giving nary timetable connected erstwhile elections mightiness beryllium held. Machado indicated that he had provided fewer specifics connected that beforehand during their discussion.

She did not supply much accusation connected what was said.

'We could count connected President Trump'

After the closed-door meeting, Machado greeted dozens of cheering supporters waiting for her adjacent the White House gates, stopping to hug many.

"We could count connected President Trump," she told them without elaborating, prompting immoderate to concisely chant, "Thank you, Trump."

Before her sojourn to Washington, Machado had not been seen successful nationalist since she traveled past period to Norway, wherever her girl received the bid prize connected her behalf. She had spent 11 months successful hiding successful Venezuela earlier she appeared successful Norway aft the ceremony.

Venezuelan guidance leader Maria Corina Machado, center, is welcomed by Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., left, Sen. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., acold left, and Sen. Alex Padilla, D-Calif., right, arsenic the Nobel Peace Prize recipient visits American leaders astatine the Capitol successful Washington, Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026. J. Scott Applewhite/AP

J. Scott Applewhite/AP

The jubilant segment aft her gathering pinch Trump stood successful opposition to governmental realities successful Venezuela. Rodríguez remains successful complaint of day-to-day authorities operations, on pinch others successful Maduro's soul circle. In her first authorities of the national reside Thursday, the interim president promoted the resumption of negotiated ties betwixt the historical adversaries and advocated for opening the state-run lipid manufacture to much overseas finance aft Trump pledged to prehend power of Venezuelan crude sales.

Trump has said it would beryllium difficult for Machado to lead because she "doesn't person the support wrong aliases the respect wrong the country." Her statement is wide believed to person won 2024 elections rejected by Maduro.

White House property caput Karoline Leavitt called Machado "a singular and brave voice" but besides said the gathering didn't mean Trump's sentiment of her changed, calling it "a realistic assessment."

Leavitt told reporters that Trump supported caller Venezuelan elections "when the clip is right" but did not opportunity erstwhile he thought that mightiness be.

A 'frank and affirmative discussion' about Venezuela

Leavitt said Machado had sought the face-to-face gathering without mounting expectations for what would occur. She spent about 2 and a half hours astatine the White House.

"I don't deliberation he needs to perceive thing from Ms. Machado," the property caput said while the gathering was still going on, different than to person a "frank and affirmative chat about what's taking spot successful Venezuela."

After leaving the White House, Machado went connected to a closed-door gathering pinch a bipartisan group of senators.

Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., said Machado told them that "if there's not immoderate progress, existent advancement towards a modulation successful power, and/or elections successful the adjacent respective months, we should each beryllium worried."

"She reminded america that Delcy Rodríguez is, successful galore ways, worse than Maduro," he added.

Asked if Machado had heard immoderate committedness from the White House connected holding elections successful Venezuela, Murphy said, "No, I don't deliberation she sewage immoderate committedness from them."

Venezuelan guidance leader María Corina Machado, center, leaves the Capitol, Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026, successful Washington. Allison Robbert/FR172296 AP

Allison Robbert/FR172296 AP

Sen. Bernie Moreno, an Ohio Republican, was exultant pursuing the meeting, saying Machado "delivered a connection that large and clear: What President Trump did was the about important, important arena successful Latin America. That getting free of Maduro was perfectly essential."

Machado's Washington extremity coincided pinch U.S. forces successful the Caribbean Sea seizing different sanctioned lipid tanker that the Trump management says had ties to Venezuela. It is portion of a broader U.S. effort to return power of the South American country's lipid aft U.S. forces captured Maduro and his woman little than 2 weeks agone astatine a heavy guarded compound successful the Venezuelan superior of Caracas and brought them to New York to guidelines proceedings connected supplier trafficking charges.

Leavitt said Venezuela's interim authorities person been afloat cooperating pinch the Trump management and noted that Rodríguez's authorities said it planned to merchandise much prisoners detained nether Maduro. Among those released were 5 Americans this week.

Trump said Wednesday that he had a "great conversation" pinch Rodríguez, their first since Maduro was ousted.

Machado doesn't get the motion from Trump

Just hours aft Maduro's capture, Trump said of Machado that "it would beryllium very reliable for her to beryllium the leader." Machado had steered a observant people to debar offending Trump, notably aft winning the bid prize, and had sought to cultivate relationships pinch him and cardinal management voices for illustration Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

The business technologist and girl of a alloy magnate, Machado began challenging the ruling statement successful 2004, erstwhile the nongovernmental statement she co-founded, Súmate, promoted a referendum to callback then-President Hugo Chávez. The inaugural failed, and Machado and different Súmate executives were charged pinch conspiracy.

A twelvemonth later, she drew the anger of Chávez and his friends again for walking to Washington to meet President George W. Bush, whom Chávez considered an adversary.

Almost 2 decades later, she marshaled millions of Venezuelans to cull Chávez's successor, Maduro, for different word successful the 2024 election. But ruling party-loyal electoral authorities declared him the victor contempt ample reliable grounds to the contrary. Ensuing anti-government protests ended successful a sadistic crackdown.