Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado defended her decision on Wednesday to give her Nobel Peace Prize medal to US President Donald Trump during her recent visit to the White House. Machado asserted that the gesture symbolizes gratitude for Trump's support for the freedom of the Venezuelan people. "I've already said what I wanted to say and what it means for the Venezuelan people to express our gratitude to President Trump for what he has done," Machado declared in an interview at the Capitol following his meeting with US constituents.

Meeting with legislators and political message

Prior to defending her gesture, Machado met with legislators at the Capitol, where she called for the Americas to be free of communism. In that context, she affirmed that after the liberation of Venezuela, she will continue working for a free Cuba and a free Nicaragua, referring to other governments in the region. “This is a historic moment, and we wouldn't be here if it weren't for the commitment, resilience, generosity, and courage of the Venezuelan people,” Machado added, also highlighting the role of Trump and members of Congress in their struggle.

The gesture that generated international debate

Machado presented the medal to Trump during a private meeting at the White House, accompanying the act with words of gratitude for what she defined as the US president's “decisive action” to support freedom in Venezuela. Later, Trump posted pictures of himself holding the framed medal alongside Machado in the Oval Office. The act provoked international criticism. The Norwegian Nobel Committee clarified that, while the physical medal may change hands as an object, the honor of the Nobel Peace Prize remains tied to the original winner and cannot be officially transferred or shared.

Political criticism in the United States

The awarding of the medal also generated objections in the United States. Political figures described the gesture as unusual or inappropriate, noting that Trump accepted the medal even though he is not the official laureate of the prize. Trump,who has previously expressed his desire to win a Nobel Peace Prize, publicly thanked them for the gesture and described it as an act of mutual respect, although he also continued to address other diplomatic and strategic issues of his administration.