Nobel Committee: Machado’s handing over of her prize to Trump doesn’t change the identity of the winner

The Nobel Committee has announced that the presentation of the prize by Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado to US President Donald Trump won’t change the identity of the winner.

“The medal and the certificate are physical symbols of the awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize to a person or institution, while the prize itself is an inseparable honor and recognition from the person or entity designated by the Norwegian Nobel Committee,” the Nobel Committee said in a statement on Saturday.

Many of the Nobel Medals are currently on display in museums around the world, and some of the winners have chosen to donate or sell their prizes.

“Even if a medal or certificate is later handed over to someone else, that doesn’t change the Nobel Peace Prize winner,” the Nobel Committee said.

On Thursday, Trump announced in a statement on social media that Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado had presented him with the Nobel Peace Prize, calling it a very gentle gesture based on mutual respect.

After their meeting at the White House, Machado said in a brief statement to reporters that she had presented Trump with the Nobel Peace Prize, which she won in 2025.

Last October, Machado won the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize, in recognition of her struggle to promote democratic rights in her country.

In violation of international law, on January 3, 2026, the US military launched an attack on Venezuela, resulting in the deaths and arrest of President Nicolas Maduro and his wife and their transfer to the United States.

Trump later announced that his country would run Venezuela’s affairs during a transitional period and send its companies to invest in the oil sector, without specifying a timetable.

In New York, at the first of his trial, which was widely condemned internationally, Maduro dismissed the charges against him, including leading a corrupt government and collaborating with drug traffickers, and described himself as a prisoner of war.

Maduro’s deputy, Delcy Rodriguez, assumed the duties of Venezuela’s interim presidency on January 5 after taking the oath of office in parliament.

US President Trump has said in previous statements that “Machado is neither respected nor strong enough among the people to enable it to take power in Venezuela”.

He pointed out that he will deal with the current interim head of state, Delcy Rodriguez, and her government.