Washington (Monitoring Desk): Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado presented her Nobel Peace Prize medal to US President Donald Trump during a meeting at the White House, which President Trump accepted. According to White House officials, President Trump intends to keep the medal.
In a statement shared on social media, President Trump said that María Corina Machado presented the medal in recognition of his services, calling it a symbol of mutual respect and appreciation. Describing the meeting as positive, Machado said the gift was presented in acknowledgment of President Trump’s role in supporting the freedom of the Venezuelan people.
However, the Norwegian Nobel Institute has clarified that the Nobel Prize cannot legally be transferred, shared, or returned, and that the award will officially remain in Machado’s name.
The meeting took place at a time when President Trump had ruled out the possibility of handing over Venezuela’s leadership to María Corina Machado. President Trump has previously expressed a desire to receive the Nobel Peace Prize and had shown disappointment last month when Machado received the award.
This was the first direct meeting between the two leaders, after which María Corina Machado also met members of the US Congress. According to the White House spokesperson, President Trump was keen to meet Machado, but he continues to maintain that she currently lacks the necessary support to lead Venezuela.
