Machado’s Nobel Gift Fails to Secure Trump’s Explicit Support for Venezuela Leadership

Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado visited the White House on Thursday (January 15) with a high-stakes gift: her own Nobel Peace Prize medal. By presenting Donald Trump with an honor he has long coveted, Machado sought to solidify U.S. backing for her leadership in a post-Maduro Venezuela.

However, reports suggest that the gesture did not immediately translate into the political commitment she hoped for.

While Machado characterized the meeting as "historic" and "extraordinary," focusing on themes of democracy and human rights, she left the White House with little more than a Trump-branded gift bag and a photo opportunity. President Trump continues to favor former Vice President Delcy Rodriguez as the interim leader, a move that has puzzled many hardline Maduro critics.

The Nobel committee in Oslo quickly intervened following the gift exchange, clarifying that while a physical medal can change hands, the status of a Nobel Peace Prize laureate is strictly non-transferable. Despite the symbolic gesture, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed that Trump’s stance remains unchanged: while he respects Machado’s bravery, he still believes she lacks the necessary broad-based support to lead the nation.