Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado said she presented her Nobel Peace Prize medal to U.S. President Donald Trump during their meeting on Thursday, 15 January.
Speaking to reporters at the U.S. Capitol afterwards, Machado described the gesture as symbolic. She referenced history, noting that 200 years ago General Lafayette gave Simon Bolivar a medal bearing George Washington’s face, which Bolivar kept for the rest of his life.
“It was given as a sign of the brotherhood between the United States, the people of the United States, and the people of Venezuela in their fight for freedom against tyranny,” she said.
Machado added that, in this spirit, the people of Bolívar are giving back a medal this time her Nobel Peace Prize as recognition of Trump’s commitment to Venezuelan freedom.
A White House official confirmed that Trump intends to keep the medal.
In a social media post on Thursday evening, Trump wrote, "Maria presented me with her Nobel Peace Prize for the work I have done. Such a wonderful gesture of mutual respect. Thank you Maria!"
Machado described the meeting as "excellent." She gave no further details about the discussion but was warmly greeted by dozens of supporters outside. The lunch meeting marked the first face-to-face encounter between Machado and Trump.
The lunch meeting, which appeared to last slightly over an hour, marked the first time the two have met in person. Machado then met with more than a dozen senators, both Republican and Democratic, on Capitol Hill, where she has generally found more enthusiastic allies.
The White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt said Trump had been looking forward to the meeting and expected a positive discussion with Machado, whom she called “a remarkable and brave voice for many of the people of Venezuela.” Leavitt added that the president still believes Machado does not currently have the support or respect needed to govern Venezuela.
Machado, who fled Venezuela in December in a daring seaborne escape, was barred from running in Venezuela’s 2024 presidential election by a government-aligned court. While Maduro claimed victory, outside observers say opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez, backed by Machado, actually won more votes.
The Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to Machado last month. The Norwegian Nobel Institute says the prize cannot be transferred, shared, or revoked.
Trump has praised interim Venezuelan president Delcy Rodriguez, saying she has “been very good to deal with,” while U.S. policy remains focused on rebuilding Venezuela’s economy and securing access to its oil following Maduro’s capture earlier this month.
Kremlin Spokesperson Dmitry Peskov has dismissed media reports that CIA Director John Ratcliffe visited Moscow ear...
The UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) says 3.7 million children across Afghanistan are suffering from acute wasting, ...
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has called for greater economic cooperation among Muslim countries, saying their combined economic weight remai...
Oil prices fell after the U.S. expanded economic sanctions on Iran, as Tehran vowed to retaliate and warned it had tools to respond, raising concerns over potential disruption to regional oil supplies.
Rescuers in Nepal used helicopters on Thursday to scour for hundreds still missing after a wall of mud and rock collapsed into a river on the Himalayan border with China's Tibet, sending catastrophic floods through towns and valleys, killing 162 people.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio told allied foreign ministers Washington will focus on sanctions and other pressure on Iran “for the time being”, Axios reports. Meanwhile, Iran and Oman have resumed talks on a temporary shipping route through the Strait of Hormuz.
Kyiv has recently received a small number of U.S.-made Patriot interceptors capable of downing Russian ballistic missiles, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said. It comes as Britain and France pledged stronger military support for Ukraine.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has called for greater economic cooperation among Muslim countries, saying their combined economic weight remains disproportionately small compared with their population, strategic location and resources.
The UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) says 3.7 million children across Afghanistan are suffering from acute wasting, a dangerous form of malnutrition, including around one million with severe acute malnutrition, as hospitals and aid services face rising demand and funding shortages.
Kremlin Spokesperson Dmitry Peskov has dismissed media reports that CIA Director John Ratcliffe visited Moscow earlier this week to warn Russia against attacking NATO, dismissing them as "scare stories," which had nothing to do with reality.
Icelanders will vote on Saturday, 29 August, on whether to resume negotiations with the European Union, in a referendum that could reopen the country’s long-debated membership question.
Israel is set to return the body of a 15-year-old Palestinian boy more than nine months after he was killed by Israeli forces and his remains were placed in Israeli custody, according to a Palestinian campaign seeking the return of bodies.
Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top news stories for the 27th of August, covering the latest developments.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment