Trump Praises ‘Gesture of Respect’ as Machado Presents Nobel Peace Prize Medal

Venezuelan opposition leader, María Corina Machado has said she presented her Nobel Peace Prize medal to United States President Donald Trump, a symbolic move she described as a gesture of respect amid shifting U.S. policy toward Venezuela.

Machado disclosed this on Thursday after meeting Trump at the White House, where she later proceeded to the U.S. Capitol to hold discussions with American lawmakers. Trump, reacting to the development, praised the act, describing it as a “wonderful gesture of mutual respect.”

“I presented the president of the United States the medal of the Nobel Peace Prize,” Machado told reporters outside the Capitol. She later described the moment as emotional, saying Trump “deserves it,” during an interview with Fox News.

The gesture comes against the backdrop of strained relations between Machado and the Trump administration. Despite her status as a leading figure in Venezuela’s opposition and a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, Trump has so far declined to fully back her politically following the January 3 U.S. military operation that led to the capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro.

Instead, the U.S. president has signalled support for Maduro’s vice president, Delcy Rodríguez, provided her government aligns with Washington’s strategic interests, particularly regarding access to Venezuela’s vast oil reserves.

Trump has previously expressed resentment over the Nobel Peace Prize, remarking on several occasions that he believed the award should have gone to him. His positive reaction to Machado’s gesture, however, has not translated into a clear shift in U.S. policy in her favour.

While the presentation of the medal was symbolic, it has drawn international attention, highlighting the complex political manoeuvring surrounding Venezuela’s leadership crisis and the role of the United States in shaping the country’s future.