Maria Corina Machado, the Venezuelan opposition leader, has “presented” Donald Trump with her Nobel Peace Prize as she attempted to woo the US president.
Mr Trump has made no secret of his desire to be awarded the honour, which has been bestowed on several former presidents including Barack Obama.
Ms Machado, whose liberal Vente Venezuela party is widely believed to have won the 2024 election, was given the award for “promoting democratic rights for the people of Venezuela”.
It follows claims Mr Trump did not back installing Ms Machado as the country’s leader following Nicholas Maduro’s capture because she was given the honour.
Asked whether she had given Mr Trump her award during their meeting on Thursday, Ms Machado said: “I presented the president of the United States the medal of the Nobel Peace Prize.”
She said she had done so “in recognition [of] his unique commitment [to] our freedom”, although it was not clear whether Mr Trump accepted the medal.
Days earlier the Nobel Institute had ruled against Ms Machado’s previous suggestion of transferring last year’s peace prize to Mr Trump.
Earlier in the day the Nobel organisers posted on X: “A medal can change owners, but the title of a Nobel Peace Prize laureate cannot.”
Last week, Mr Trump said he could not think of “anybody in history that should get the Nobel Peace Prize more than me”.
The Venezuelan politician’s effort to win over the US president comes after he said he did not believe she had enough respect within Venezuela to govern the country.
He instead has shown support for acting president Delcy Rodríguez, Mr Maduro’s former vice-president, who was sworn in on Jan 5.
Critics argue that Ms Rodriguez is a continuation of Mr Maduro’s repressive regime. Shortly after his capture, the government directed police to search out and seize people who supported the US intervention.
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