Friday, January 16, 2026 - Former Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado has presented her Nobel Peace Prize medal to U.S. President Donald Trump during a meeting at the White House. Machado, who received the Prize in 2025 for her campaign against the Maduro regime, said the gesture was made “in recognition for his unique commitment with our freedom.” It remained unclear if Trump accepted the medal, as the Prize is not transferable under Nobel Committee rules.
Machado described the meeting as a “historic day for
Venezuelans” and told supporters gathered outside the White House that
Venezuelans “can count on President Trump,” adding that Trump understood the
suffering of the Venezuelan population and was committed to securing the
release of political prisoners.
Crowds of Venezuelan supporters waited for Machado outside
the building, celebrating the diplomatic engagement. Before the meeting, there
had been speculation over whether she would offer Trump the medal, especially
after Trump had publicly expressed interest in winning the Prize himself.
Machado’s political party was widely viewed as having won
the 2024 Venezuelan election before then-President Nicolás Maduro rejected the
results. Maduro was later captured by U.S. forces during a raid on January 3.
Since Maduro’s capture, Trump has maintained contact with Venezuela’s acting
head of state Delcy Rodríguez rather than endorsing Machado directly, a stance
confirmed by his press secretary Karoline Leavitt, who said Trump still
questioned Machado’s viability as a national leader.
Rodríguez has continued releasing political prisoners in
recent weeks in an apparent bid to win favor with Washington. Trump said he had
held a lengthy call with Rodríguez and that relations were progressing,
signaling he preferred dealing with the new acting leadership rather than the
traditional opposition.
The meeting between Trump and Machado coincided with the
release of footage showing U.S. forces storming a Venezuelan tanker operating
in defiance of U.S. sanctions. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said the
Motor Tanker Veronica had violated a Trump-established maritime quarantine of
sanctioned vessels in the Caribbean. U.S. Southern Command released video
showing helicopters deploying marines and sailors from the USS Gerald R. Ford
to seize the vessel. The Veronica is the sixth tanker interdicted in the
ongoing effort to control Venezuela’s oil distribution network
Republican officials have framed the tanker seizures as an
economic stabilization measure intended to rebuild Venezuela’s collapsed oil
sector. Trump met with oil executives last week to discuss investment plans
totaling up to $100 billion, with projected sales of 30 to 50 million barrels
of sanctioned oil.
Machado’s whereabouts have been unclear since she went
underground last year after briefly being detained in Caracas. She resurfaced
publicly in Oslo in December, when her daughter accepted the Nobel medal on her
behalf.
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