Meeting Between Venezuelan Leader and Trump
On January 15, 2026, Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Colina Machado, a recent Nobel Peace Prize winner, awarded her Nobel medal to President Donald Trump during a private meeting at the White House.
This was their first in-person meeting, lasting a little over an hour and including lunch. Machado, known for her strong criticism of Venezuela’s socialist government, expressed that the talks were “excellent,” pointing out that the U.S. under Trump remains dedicated to supporting Venezuelan freedom.
Outside the White House, she shared with reporters that handing over the Nobel Peace Prize medal was a way to acknowledge Trump’s commitment to freedom, stating, “We can trust President Trump.”
While Machado symbolically presented the medal, the Nobel title remains hers. Trump has long expressed an interest in the Nobel Peace Prize and took to Truth Social shortly after their meeting.
“Today, I had the great honor of meeting Maria Colina Machado from Venezuela. She is an amazing woman who has overcome so much. Maria presented me with the Nobel Peace Prize for all my accomplishments. It was a great act of mutual respect. Thank you, Maria!”
White House officials confirmed that Trump would retain the medal, despite rules from the Norwegian Nobel Committee stating that the award cannot be shared. Machado received the Nobel Peace Prize on October 10, 2025, in recognition of her relentless efforts to advocate for the democratic rights of the Venezuelan people.
The award highlighted her role in uniting opposition groups and calling for free elections following the contested 2024 presidential election, which her coalition claimed to have won, but was not acknowledged by then-President Nicolas Maduro. The medal was formally presented at the Nobel Prize Ceremony in Oslo on December 10, 2025, with Machado’s daughter accepting it on her behalf.
As Machado left the White House, she was met with cheers from supporters waving Venezuelan flags, reflecting ongoing global interest in Venezuela’s political landscape.
