WASHINGTON D.C. – January 16, 2026 – Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado made a high-profile political gesture on Thursday by handing over her Nobel Peace Prize medal to U.S. President Donald Trump during a meeting at the White House. However, the encounter did not result in any explicit commitment from Washington to support her role in shaping Venezuela’s post-Maduro political future.

Machado, who received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2025 for her campaign in favor of democracy in Venezuela, presented the medal as a sign of gratitude toward Trump, whom she credits with playing a decisive role in the downfall of former president Nicolás Maduro, recently captured in a U.S. special forces operation.

A photograph released by the White House shows Trump standing next to Machado while holding a gold-framed display containing the medal and a dedication reading: “Presented as a personal symbol of gratitude on behalf of the Venezuelan people in recognition of President Trump’s principled and decisive action to secure a free Venezuela.”

Trump praised the gesture on his Truth Social account, writing: “Maria presented me with her Nobel Peace Prize for the work I have done. Such a wonderful gesture of mutual respect.” A White House official later confirmed that the president intends to keep the medal.

The Nobel Peace Center in Oslo swiftly clarified that Nobel medals cannot be transferred or shared. “A medal can change owners, but the title of a Nobel Peace Prize laureate cannot,” the committee stated.

Symbolism without political guarantees

Despite Machado describing the meeting as “historic” and “extraordinary,” the White House offered no indication that Trump would endorse her leadership ambitions. The meeting, which reportedly lasted just over an hour, underscored the uncertainty surrounding Washington’s current strategy toward Venezuela.

Trump has instead placed his support behind Delcy Rodríguez, Maduro’s former vice president, whom he designated as interim president—a move that stunned opposition figures and members of the Venezuelan diaspora.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump maintains a “realistic” assessment and does not believe Machado currently has the political support required to govern Venezuela in the short term.

U.S. priorities: oil and stability

According to sources cited by Reuters, the Trump administration’s primary focus appears to be securing U.S. access to Venezuela’s oil reserves and stabilizing the country’s economy, rather than immediately restoring democratic institutions.

Trump has repeatedly praised Rodríguez, describing her as “very good to deal with,” and has welcomed her proposals to reform Venezuela’s oil sector to attract foreign investment.

Following her White House meeting, Machado traveled to Capitol Hill, where she met with more than a dozen Republican and Democratic senators, who have shown greater openness to her vision. Senator Chris Murphy warned that repression in Venezuela remains unchanged and expressed skepticism about the prospects for free elections in the near future.

Machado continues to insist that Edmundo González, the opposition candidate backed by her, was the legitimate winner of Venezuela’s disputed 2024 presidential election.

For now, the Nobel medal exchange stands as a powerful image—one that has yet to translate into concrete political support.