Venezuelan opposition chief María Corina Machado waves to supporters on Pennsylvania Avenue as she leaves the White Home after assembly with President Donald Trump Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026, in Washington.
Pablo Martinez Monsivais/AP
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Pablo Martinez Monsivais/AP
WASHINGTON — Venezuelan opposition chief María Corina Machado mentioned she introduced her Nobel Peace Prize medal to President Donald Trump on the White Home on Thursday at the same time as he has questioned her credibility to take over her nation after the U.S. ousted then-President Nicolás Maduro.
The Nobel Institute has mentioned Machado couldn’t give her prize to Trump, an honor that he has coveted. Even when it the gesture proves to be purely symbolic, it was extraordinary provided that Trump has successfully sidelined Machado, who has lengthy been the face of resistance in Venezuela. He has signaled his willingness to work with performing President Delcy Rodríguez, who had been Maduro’s second in command.
“I introduced the president of america the medal, the Nobel Peace Prize,” Machado instructed reporters after leaving the White Home and heading to Capitol Hill. She mentioned she had carried out so “as a recognition for his distinctive dedication with our freedom.”
Trump confirmed in a while social media that Machado had left the medal for him to maintain, and he mentioned it was an honor to satisfy her.
“She is a superb girl who has been by way of a lot. María introduced me together with her Nobel Peace Prize for the work I’ve carried out,” Trump mentioned in his publish. “Such a beautiful gesture of mutual respect. Thanks María!”
The White Home later posted a photograph of Machado standing subsequent to Trump within the Oval Workplace as he holds the medal in a big body. A textual content within the body reads, “Offered as a private image of gratitude on behalf of the Venezuelan individuals in recognition of President Trump’s principled and decisive motion to safe a free Venezuela.”
Trump has raised doubts about his acknowledged dedication to backing democratic rule in Venezuela, giving no timetable on when elections could be held. Machado indicated that he had offered few specifics on that entrance throughout their dialogue.
She didn’t present extra info on what was mentioned.
‘We will rely on President Trump’
After the closed-door assembly, Machado greeted dozens of cheering supporters ready for her close to the White Home gates, stopping to hug many.
“We will rely on President Trump,” she instructed them with out elaborating, prompting some to briefly chant, “Thanks, Trump.”
Earlier than her go to to Washington, Machado had not been seen in public since she traveled final month to Norway, the place her daughter acquired the peace prize on her behalf. She had spent 11 months in hiding in Venezuela earlier than she appeared in Norway after the ceremony.
Venezuelan opposition chief Maria Corina Machado, middle, is welcomed by Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ailing., left, Sen. Ruben Gallego, D-Ariz., far left, and Sen. Alex Padilla, D-Calif., proper, because the Nobel Peace Prize recipient visits American leaders on the Capitol in Washington, Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026.
J. Scott Applewhite/AP
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J. Scott Applewhite/AP
The jubilant scene after her assembly with Trump stood in distinction to political realities in Venezuela. Rodríguez stays accountable for day-to-day authorities operations, together with others in Maduro’s inside circle. In her first state of the union speech Thursday, the interim president promoted the resumption of diplomatic ties between the historic adversaries and advocated for opening the state-run oil business to extra international funding after Trump pledged to grab management of Venezuelan crude gross sales.
Trump has mentioned it could be tough for Machado to guide as a result of she “would not have the help inside or the respect inside the nation.” Her social gathering is extensively believed to have gained 2024 elections rejected by Maduro.
White Home press secretary Karoline Leavitt known as Machado “a outstanding and courageous voice” but additionally mentioned the assembly did not imply Trump’s opinion of her modified, calling it “a sensible evaluation.”
Leavitt instructed reporters that Trump supported new Venezuelan elections “when the time is true” however didn’t say when he thought that could be.
A ‘frank and optimistic dialogue’ about Venezuela
Leavitt mentioned Machado had sought the face-to-face assembly with out setting expectations for what would happen. She spent about two and a half hours on the White Home.
“I do not assume he wants to listen to something from Ms. Machado,” the press secretary mentioned whereas the assembly was nonetheless occurring, apart from to have a “frank and optimistic dialogue about what’s happening in Venezuela.”
After leaving the White Home, Machado went on to a closed-door assembly with a bipartisan group of senators.
Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., mentioned Machado instructed them that “if there’s not some progress, actual progress in the direction of a transition in energy, and/or elections within the subsequent a number of months, we must always all be nervous.”
“She reminded us that Delcy Rodríguez is, in some ways, worse than Maduro,” he added.
Requested if Machado had heard any dedication from the White Home on holding elections in Venezuela, Murphy mentioned, “No, I do not assume she received any dedication from them.”
Venezuelan opposition chief María Corina Machado, middle, leaves the Capitol, Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026, in Washington.
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Allison Robbert/FR172296 AP
Sen. Bernie Moreno, an Ohio Republican, was exultant following the assembly, saying Machado “delivered a message that loud and clear: What President Trump did was a very powerful, important occasion in Latin America. That eliminating Maduro was completely important.”
Machado’s Washington cease coincided with U.S. forces within the Caribbean Sea seizing one other sanctioned oil tanker that the Trump administration says had ties to Venezuela. It’s a part of a broader U.S. effort to take management of the South American nation’s oil after U.S. forces captured Maduro and his spouse lower than two weeks in the past at a closely guarded compound within the Venezuelan capital of Caracas and introduced them to New York to face trial on drug trafficking fees.
Leavitt mentioned Venezuela’s interim authorities have been totally cooperating with the Trump administration and famous that Rodríguez’s authorities mentioned it deliberate to launch extra prisoners detained underneath Maduro. Amongst these launched have been 5 Individuals this week.
Trump mentioned Wednesday that he had a “nice dialog” with Rodríguez, their first since Maduro was ousted.
Machado would not get the nod from Trump
Simply hours after Maduro’s seize, Trump mentioned of Machado that “it could be very powerful for her to be the chief.” Machado had steered a cautious course to keep away from offending Trump, notably after successful the peace prize, and had sought to domesticate relationships with him and key administration voices like Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
The economic engineer and daughter of a metal magnate, Machado started difficult the ruling social gathering in 2004, when the nongovernmental group she co-founded, Súmate, promoted a referendum to recall then-President Hugo Chávez. The initiative failed, and Machado and different Súmate executives have been charged with conspiracy.
A 12 months later, she drew the anger of Chávez and his allies once more for touring to Washington to satisfy President George W. Bush, whom Chávez thought of an adversary.
Virtually twenty years later, she marshaled thousands and thousands of Venezuelans to reject Chávez’s successor, Maduro, for an additional time period within the 2024 election. However ruling party-loyal electoral authorities declared him the winner regardless of ample credible proof on the contrary. Ensuing anti-government protests resulted in a brutal crackdown.
