The President of the United States, Donald Trump, confirmed on Thursday that the Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado presented him with her Nobel Peace Prize medal during their meeting at the White House, and he described the gesture as “a wonderful demonstration of mutual respect.”
"It was a great honor to meet today with María Corina Machado from Venezuela. She is a wonderful woman who has been through so much. María presented me with her Nobel Peace Prize for the work I have done. A wonderful gesture of mutual respect. Thank you, María!" the president wrote on his official account.
Trump's statement comes hours after Machado reported that she had presented her Nobel medal to the U.S. president "in recognition of his commitment to freedom."
Machado's gesture is a sign of gratitude towards Trump for the role his government has played in the Venezuelan transition process following the capture of Nicolás Maduro and Cilia Flores on January 3rd during a military operation by U.S. forces in Caracas.
During his brief statement after the meeting, Machado said that his gesture acknowledged Trump’s "unique commitment to freedom" and that Venezuelans "could count on President Trump."
The visit marked a turning point in the relationship between both leaders. Trump, who had occasionally questioned Machado's ability to lead the transition in Venezuela, now publicly praised her, describing her as a woman "who has been through so much" and "wonderful."
Machado received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2025 for his role in the democratic resistance against the Maduro regime and his defense of human rights in Latin America.
The meeting between the two took place in the context of a redefinition of the role of the United States in the region following the fall of the Maduro regime and Delcy Rodríguez's assumption of the interim presidency.
Trump, who has kept in touch with Rodríguez by phone regarding bilateral matters, recently reiterated that his administration will continue to support “a free, stable, and democratic Venezuela.”
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