President Trump announces meeting with Maria Corina Machado next week
This will be the first meeting between President Donald Trump and Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Colina Machado.
Maria Colina Machado entered the White House simultaneously carrying a small and heavy object: a Nobel Peace Prize medal. It wasn’t just money. It was a political gamble. Venezuelan opposition leaders were looking for more than a photo, a clear sign of support from the United States to challenge the country’s leadership after the fall of President Nicolas Maduro.
Hours later, he emerged with a bag of gifts containing Donald Trump’s signature and many unanswered questions. Although this action was historic, its consequences are ambiguous, at least for now.
What was Maria Colina Machado looking for when she presented the Nobel Prize to Trump?
Machado, who was a fierce critic of the Chavista regime and won the Nobel Peace Prize for his advocacy for democracy, dedicated the award to then-US President Donald Trump and expressed gratitude for the operation that led to the arrest of former Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro. The scene was carefully orchestrated, with Trump posing with a medal and a framed shield with a dedication on behalf of “the people of Venezuela.”
Speaking to various political analysts during the power vacuum, Machado argues that Venezuela already has an elected president, Edmundo González, recognized by the United States after a controversial 2024 election, and that he wants new, explicit support from Washington to lead a democratic transition. However, it is unclear whether this action achieved its purpose.
Reference Norwegian media received scathing reviews from local analysts about the Venezuelan opposition’s strategy. Public broadcaster NRK published the opinion of expert Janne Harland Matraly, who said the situation was “very pathetic”. The Verdens Gang newspaper, one of the country’s most read newspapers, took this line further, quoting historian Asul Sveen as saying that Machado was acting with “absolute desperation” to win support from Donald Trump, which would eventually pave the way for Venezuela to participate in democracy.
Can I award or share the Nobel Peace Prize?
Following the uproar, the Norwegian Nobel Institute firmly stated, “The Nobel Peace Prize cannot be revoked, transferred, or shared.” “The decision is final and remains forever,” the institute said from Oslo, according to the Associated Press, recalling that while the medal could be changed, the title of the recipient could not.
Machado has publicly said he wants Trump to “give or share” the award, saying Trump is key to the democratic transition. The president, who has long expressed his desire to win the Nobel Prize, expressed his gratitude for the gesture on social networks, saying it was a sign of “mutual respect.” But the symbolism clashed with the award’s formal regulations and political realities.
Why doesn’t Trump support Machado leading Venezuela?
The most sensitive point concerned the White House’s official position. President Trump has called Machado a “courageous voice,” but the administration insists she doesn’t have enough support in Venezuela to rule. Instead, Washington backed Delcy Rodriguez, Maduro’s former vice president, as interim president, a decision that surprised and perplexed the opposition.
A presidential spokesperson insisted that the president’s opinion “has not changed.” For Machado, the meeting was “historic” and “extraordinary,” asserting that there was a coincidence about the need for a genuine new electoral process that would rebuild institutions, protect human rights, and facilitate the return of millions of exiled Venezuelans. However, in reality, political support remains unstable.
contribution: america today
Boris Q’va is a national Spanish language trends news reporter for Connect/USA TODAY Network. You can follow him on X as @ByBorisQva or write to him at BBalsindesUrquiola@gannett.com.
