Venezuela’s Machado says she presented her Nobel Peace Prize to Donald Trump during their meeting

Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado said she presented her Nobel Peace Prize medal to US President Donald Trump during a private meeting at the White House, calling it a gesture of thanks for what she described as his support for Venezuela’s freedom, the Associated Press (AP) reported. Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado is welcomed by Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., left, as the Nobel Peace Prize recipient arrives for meetings with lawmakers at the Capitol in Washington, Thursday. (Photo: AP) Machado said she handed over the medal during talks on Thursday but did not say whether Trump accepted it. The White House has also not confirmed whether the president took the medal. The Nobel Institute has said the prize cannot be transferred to another person. “I presented the President of the United States the medal, the Nobel Peace Prize,” Machado told reporters after leaving the White House, according to AP. She said the gesture was meant as “a recognition for his unique commitment with our freedom”. The White House said earlier that if Machado attempted to give Trump the medal, it would be up to the president whether to accept it. The Nobel Institute has previously clarified that while a physical medal can change hands, the Nobel Peace Prize title itself cannot be shared or transferred. Trump, who has often spoken publicly about his desire to win a Nobel Peace Prize, has not commented on the meeting. Machado, a long-time opponent of Venezuela’s former president Nicolás Maduro, met Trump for about two and a half hours. It was their first in-person meeting. Afterwards, she greeted supporters gathered outside the White House gates, telling them, “We can count on President Trump,” AP reported. She did not give details of any commitments made during the meeting. Despite praising Machado as “a remarkable and brave voice”, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the meeting did not signal a change in Trump’s view that Machado may not have enough support inside Venezuela to lead the country. Trump has instead shown willingness to work with acting president Delcy Rodríguez, who was Maduro’s deputy and remains in charge of day-to-day government operations. Machado’s visit comes after US forces captured Maduro earlier this month and brought him to the United States to face drug trafficking charges. However, Trump has not endorsed Machado as Venezuela’s next leader and has given no clear timeline for elections. Leavitt said Trump supports new elections in Venezuela “when the time is right”, but did not say when that might be. After meeting Trump, Machado held closed-door talks with US senators. Senator Chris Murphy, a Democrat, said Machado warned lawmakers that without progress towards elections or a transition of power in the coming months, the situation could worsen. Machado told senators that Rodríguez was “in many ways, worse than Maduro”. Meanwhile, the Trump administration has moved quickly to reshape Venezuela’s oil sector and has seized tankers linked to the country as part of its pressure campaign. While Machado continues to press...

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