María Corina Machado gifts Trump her Nobel Peace Prize medal, saying 'he deserves it'

WASHINGTON, DC: Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado said she presented President Donald Trump with her Nobel Peace Prize medal during a White House visit on Thursday, January 15, saying the gesture reflected what she believes he has done for Venezuela.

In an interview aired Friday on 'Fox & Friends', Machado explained the decision in direct terms. “Because he deserves it,” she said. “It was a very emotional moment.”

María Corina Machado says Trump ‘deserves it’ 

Machado, 58, said she handed Trump, 79, the medal in a framed presentation “on behalf of the people of Venezuela.” While the Nobel Committee maintains that the prize itself is not transferable, Machado said she chose to honor the president personally.

“I decided to present the Nobel Peace Prize medal on behalf of the people of Venezuela,” she said. Trump later shared a photo on Truth Social showing himself with Machado in the Oval Office, holding the medal.

Private lunch at White House

Trump hosted Machado for a private lunch that lasted about two and a half hours. Machado described the meeting as carrying significant weight.

“I’m very grateful for the opportunity I had to speak with President Trump, something I’ve been looking forward to for a very long time,” she said.

Machado added that she acted on behalf of Venezuelans who “appreciate so much what he has done for not only the freedom of the Venezuelan people, but the whole hemisphere.”

Nicolás Maduro arrested in daring raid

The meeting came less than two weeks after former Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro was arrested on federal drug and weapons charges during a US-led operation in Caracas on January 3.

Machado received the Nobel Peace Prize in October for her efforts to advance democratic change in Venezuela.

Trump backs interim leader Delcy Rodríguez 

Despite the cordial tone of the visit, divisions remain over Venezuela’s political direction.

Trump has publicly questioned whether Machado has sufficient backing inside the country to lead in the immediate aftermath of Maduro’s arrest.

The president has instead expressed support for interim leader Delcy Rodríguez, a former senior official under Maduro, to oversee the transition until elections can be held at a later date.