Venezuela’s Machado says she presented Nobel Peace Prize to Trump during meeting

Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado has said she presented her Nobel Peace Prize medal to US President Donald Trump “as a recognition for his unique commitment with our freedom”.

Ms Machado detailed having given her prize to Mr Trump in comments to a group of reporters after the meeting, but did not provide further details.

The White House did not immediately say if Mr Trump accepted the medal.

That followed her having met with Mr Trump to discuss her country’s future, even though he has dismissed her credibility to take over after an audacious US military raid that captured then-president Nicolas Maduro.

Visiting Mr Trump presented something of a physical risk for Ms Machado, whose whereabouts have been largely unknown since she left her country last year after being briefly detained in Caracas.

Nevertheless, after a closed-door discussion with Mr Trump, she greeted dozens of cheering supporters waiting for her near the gates -stopping to hug many.

“We can count on President Trump,” she told them, prompting some to briefly chant “Thank you, Trump,” but she did not elaborate.

The jubilant scene stood in contrast to Mr Trump having repeatedly raised doubts about Ms Machado and his stated commitment to backing democratic rule in Venezuela.

He has signalled his willingness to work with acting President Delcy Rodriguez, who was Maduro’s number two.

Along with others in the deposed leader’s inner circle, Ms Rodriguez remains in charge of day-to-day government operations and was delivering her first state of the union speech during Ms Machado’s Washington trip.

In endorsing Ms Rodriguez so far, Mr Trump sidelined Ms Machado, who has long been a face of resistance in Venezuela.

That is despite Ms Machado seeking to cultivate relationships with the president and key administration voices such as secretary of state Marco Rubio, in a gamble to ally herself with the US government and some of its top conservatives.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt called Ms Machado “a remarkable and brave voice” for the people of Venezuela, but also said that the meeting did not mean Mr Trump’s opinion of her changed, calling it “a realistic assessment”.

Mr Trump has said it would be difficult for Ms Machado to lead because she “doesn’t have the support within or the respect within the country”.

Her party is widely believed to have won 2024 elections rejected by Maduro.

Ms Leavitt went on to say that Mr Trump supported new Venezuelan elections “when the time is right” but did not say when he thought that might be.