WashingtonOpposition leader María Corina Machado of Venezuela announced on Friday that she gave President Donald Trump her Nobel Peace Prize medal "as a recognition for his unique commitment with our freedom." In remarks to a group of reporters following the meeting, Machado described giving her prize to Trump, but she did not elaborate. Trump's acceptance of the medal was not immediately announced by the White House.
Trump meets Machado of VenezuelaThat came after she met with Trump to talk about the future of her nation, despite the fact that he has rejected her ability to succeed him following a bold US military operation that resulted in the capture of then-President Nicolás Maduro.
Machado, whose whereabouts have been mostly unknown since she left her country last year after being briefly detained in Caracas, faced some physical risk when she visited Trump. She did, however, greet dozens of enthusiastic supporters who were waiting for her near the gates after speaking with Trump behind closed doors, pausing to give many of them hugs. She said, "We can count on President Trump," which caused some of them to briefly chant, "Thank you, Trump," but she didn't go into further detail.
Trump expresses a desire to collaborate with Delcy.The celebratory scene contrasted with Trump's repeated criticism of Machado and his declared support for democratic governance in Venezuela. He has indicated that he is open to cooperating with Maduro's Number 2, acting President Delcy Rodríguez.
During Machado's visit to Washington, Rodríguez was giving her first state of the union speech and is still in charge of day-to-day government operations alongside other members of the deposed leader's inner circle.
Trump ignored Machado, who has long been a symbol of resistance in Venezuela, by supporting Rodríguez thus far. In an attempt to form an alliance with the US government and some of its leading conservatives, Machado has attempted to build relationships with the president and influential administration figures such as Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Machado is described by Karoline Leavitt as "a remarkable and brave voice."Although Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secretary, described Machado as "a remarkable and brave voice" for the Venezuelan people, she also stated that Trump's opinion of her remained "a realistic assessment" following the meeting.
Machado "doesn't have the support within or the respect within the country," according to Trump, making it challenging for her to lead. Most people think her party won the 2024 elections, which Maduro rejected. Leavitt continued by saying that Trump was in favor of fresh elections in Venezuela "when the time is right," but he did not specify when he believed that to be.