Maria Corina Machado will meet with Donald Trump this week. It is anticipated that she might hand over her Nobel Peace Prize to him at the White House. While she’s welcome to share personal property with Trump, the Nobel Committee has made clear that it is not in her power to bestow — or share — the honor conferred upon her upon Trump. The Independent:
- Nobel Peace Prize organisers have informed winner MarÃa Corina Machado that her award “cannot be revoked, shared or transferred” after she suggested giving it to Donald Trump.
- The Nobel Institute said that the decision to award a Nobel Prize is “final and stands for all time,” citing the Nobel Foundation’s statutes.
- The warning follows comments from Donald Trump, who said he would be honoured to accept the prize if offered by the Venezuelan opposition leader during an upcoming meeting.
- Machado expressed her intention to present the prize to Trump as an act of gratitude from the Venezuelan people for the removal of Nicolás Maduro.
- Machado, who won the prize in October, has been a vocal supporter of Trump and has faced political challenges in Venezuela, including being barred from running in the 2024 general election.
The Peace Prize Medal Handover Ceremony has been scheduled. pic.twitter.com/Bj5W7dfEv7
— Ron Filipkowski (@RonFilipkowski) January 12, 2026
So will Machado go through with some hollow gesture in order to grease Trump? I’d give it a greater than 50/50 chance. It’s no secret that flattery is everything to Trump and Machado’s situation is dire.
Has she taken complete leave of her senses? She was awarded the prize in the first place for being the opposition leader. When banned from running herself she threw her weight behind someone else who handily won the election according to all international observers.
I’m sure as news broke that Maduro was out and headed to an American jail to face trial up here the first thoughts of the people were hopes a new election would quickly be held and that she would get to run, and win. I’m sure some of that faded when she started sucking up to Trump. Still, I think she was in a good position until it became clear her sucking up to him by saying Trump deserved her medal more than she did wasn’t some ‘quip.’
No, if she follows through and actually hands over the medal to him she can kiss her status as opposition leader goodbye. The people want someone who will stand up for THEM, not themselves by sucking up to Trump/the U.S. in exchange for ‘protection’ and all the trappings of being the puppet leader of their country. No, she should think long and hard about what she’s suggested she might do, especially since Trump had the VP of Venezuela elevated to the top spot because Machado in Trumpty’s words didn’t have the support of the people. She sure as hell WON’t if she keeps sucking up to him!