فاس نيوز ميديا جريدة الكترونية جهوية تعنى بشؤون و أخبار جهة فاس مكناس – متجددة على مدار الساعة
The Norwegian Nobel Institute confirmed that Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado, a recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize, cannot transfer the status of “Nobel Peace Prize laureate” to any other person, even if she presents her medal to them. The Institute stressed that the title remains exclusive to the individual officially selected by the Prize Committee.
The clarification followed a meeting between Machado and U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House, during which she handed him the medal in what she described as a “personal gesture of gratitude” for his declared support of what she considers the path toward “Venezuela’s freedom.” The White House published a photo of Trump holding the medal, accompanied by a caption indicating it was offered “as a personal symbol of appreciation on behalf of the Venezuelan people.”
For his part, Trump commented on the gesture via social media, saying that the presentation reflected “mutual respect,” and praising Machado and her political trajectory, without providing operational details regarding next steps for Venezuela.
Conversely, the Nobel Institute emphasized that while the medal as a physical object may be gifted or transferred in ownership, the designation of “Nobel Peace Prize laureate” is non-transferable under any circumstances and can only be conferred through an official decision by the Prize Committee.
After leaving the White House en route to the United States Congress, Machado stated that she offered the medal “in recognition of a unique commitment to Venezuela’s freedom,” while acknowledging that the meeting did not yield concrete measures to support a return to democracy or a timeline for organizing free and fair elections.
These developments come after Washington announced on January 3, 2026, that it carried out a military operation inside Venezuela, claiming it resulted in the arrest of President Nicolás Maduro and his wife and their transfer to the United States—a move that prompted mixed international reactions. In New York, during his first court appearance, Maduro denied the charges against him, including “leading a corrupt government” and “collaborating with drug trafficking networks,” describing himself as a “prisoner of war.”
In Caracas, Delcy Rodríguez, Maduro’s deputy, was sworn in on January 5 as interim president, according to announcements by Venezuelan authorities.
Source: Fes News Media
