Gambiaj.com – (WASHINGTON, D.C) – In a move that has sent ripples through the international diplomatic community, Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado presented her 2025 Nobel Peace Prize medal to US President Donald Trump during a high-stakes White House meeting on Thursday, January 15, 2026.
The gesture—intended as a symbol of “mutual respect” and gratitude for the US military operation that toppled Nicolás Maduro earlier this month—appears to be a strategic gamble by Machado to regain her footing as Trump increasingly pivots toward the country’s current acting president and former regime insider, Delcy Rodríguez.
A Medal for a President
Machado, who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in late 2025 for her relentless campaign for democracy, presented the gold medal in a plaque dedicated to Trump’s “principled and decisive action to secure a free Venezuela.”
Taking to Truth Social, President Trump hailed the gift: “Maria presented me with her Nobel Peace Prize for the work I have done. Such a wonderful gesture of mutual respect. Thank you Maria!”
However, the gesture drew an immediate and sharp rebuke from the Norwegian Nobel Committee. In a statement released on X, the committee clarified that while a physical medal can change hands, the prestigious title of “Laureate” cannot be transferred. “A medal can change owners, but the title of a Nobel Peace Prize laureate cannot,” the committee stated.
Sidelined by Stability?
Despite Machado’s optimistic description of the meeting as “historic” and “extraordinary,” the political reality on the ground in Caracas remains grim for the traditional opposition.
Since the capture of Nicolás Maduro by US special forces on January 3, the Trump administration has stunned many by backing Delcy Rodríguez—Maduro’s former Vice President—as the acting leader.
White House officials have characterized Rodríguez as a “stable and pragmatic” partner capable of managing the country’s transition and, crucially, its oil industry.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt reinforced this stance on Thursday, stating that while the President views Machado as a “brave voice,” his assessment that she lacks the necessary support to lead the country “has not changed.
The “Swag Bag” Diplomacy
The meeting concluded with Machado being photographed leaving the White House carrying a Trump-branded gift bag, but with no firm commitment from Washington regarding a new electoral timetable.
While Machado maintains that the “genuine electoral process” must recognize Edmundo González—the candidate widely believed to have won the disputed 2024 election—the US has yet to shift its support away from the 90-day renewable “acting” term granted to Rodríguez by the Venezuelan high court.
As Machado heads to Capitol Hill to brief US lawmakers, the future of Venezuela’s leadership remains a tug-of-war between the symbolic moral authority of a Nobel laureate and the “America First” pragmatism of a president who seems to prefer the stability of the status quo over the uncertainty of a full democratic transition.
