Machado says she ‘presented’ her Nobel Peace Prize to Trump
WASHINGTON— Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado said Thursday that she “presented” her Nobel Peace Prize medal to President Trump during a private meeting at the White House, but did not change her view that he does not have the support to lead his country.
Machado, who won the award last year for his work promoting democracy in Venezuela, said he presented the 18-carat gold medal to Trump “in recognition of his unparalleled commitment to our freedom.” It is unclear whether the president, who was determined to receive the award last year, accepted the award. Nobel Peace Center He argued that the award could not be transferred.
This gesture was made on the day the two leaders met for the first time at the White House. The highly anticipated meeting took place as the United States allowed top aides of the regime of deposed president Nicolás Maduro to remain in office while overseeing Trump’s transition of power.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters that Trump entered the meeting with no expectations other than to have a “frank and positive discussion about what’s going on in Venezuela.”
Leavitt added that Trump continues to claim that Machado does not have the “support” or “respect” to lead Venezuela. Maduro’s capture took many Venezuelans by surprise.
“His view on this has not changed at this time,” Leavitt said at a news conference.
While Leavitt described Machado as “a remarkable and courageous voice for many people in Venezuela,” he also said the United States had found a “highly collaborative” partner in Maduro’s handpicked vice president, Delcy Rodríguez, who serves as Venezuela’s acting president.
“They met all the demands and requests of the United States and the president,” Leavitt said, noting that the Venezuelan government has already agreed to release political prisoners and reached a $100 billion deal to rebuild Venezuela’s energy sector.
As Machado left the White House, the extent of the conversations between him and the president remained unclear. He did not take questions from reporters, but a few were able to get answers. capture a moment on video He was greeted by supporters in front of the White House. He told them: “Know that we can trust President Trump with Venezuela’s freedom.”
He then left to meet with a bipartisan group of U.S. senators on Capitol Hill. After this meeting, Machado told reporters that he presented the medal to the president.
Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) was one of 14 senators who met with Machado. After the meeting, Scott said Machado “very much appreciated the US military’s capture of Maduro” and was pushing for “free and fair elections and a free press.”
“We must continue to understand that Delcy Rodriguez is not a leader, he was never elected president, he is still the leader of the drug cartels,” Scott said. “We need to make sure we hold him accountable.”
It seems unlikely that much will change for Machado after meeting Edmundo González Urrutia, the opposition candidate who won the 2024 presidential election stolen by Trump and Maduro, who have largely sidelined him.
Machado days after Maduro’s capture he told CBS News The Venezuelan people had “already elected” González Urrutia as the true leader of the country, and he was “ready and willing to serve our people as we were commanded.”
However, Trump argued that the United States should “fix” the country before elections are held in Venezuela.
When asked if the president is committed to holding elections in Venezuela, Leavitt said Trump hopes to “someday see elections in Venezuela” but there is no timeline for that yet.
Trump said he was pleased with his administration’s working relationship with Rodríguez. At an event at the White House on Wednesday, Trump called Rodríguez “a great person.”
The praise came after Trump said he had a “very good conversation” with her that morning, leaving her feeling hopeful that the United States and Venezuela could have a “fantastic” working relationship.
For his part, Rodriguez used his first state-of-union speech on Thursday to support oil industry reforms that would attract foreign investment, in line with the Trump administration’s goals. He also criticized Washington officials and said there was a “stain on our relations” but said he was open to strengthening the relationship.
“Let’s not be afraid of diplomacy with the USA,” Rodriguez said in Venezuela.
