Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado said Thursday she “presented” her Nobel Peace Prize medal to Donald Trump, in a bid to win over the US president who had sidelined her since overthrowing Nicolas Maduro. Despite the gesture, Trump has backed Maduro’s vice president Delcy Rodriguez over Machado -- so long as she toes Washington’s line, particularly on access to Venezuela’s vast oil reserves. “I presented the president of the United States the medal of the Nobel Peace Prize,” Machado told reporters outside the US capitol, where she met with lawmakers after having lunch with Trump at the White House. Trump had campaigned hard to win last year’s Nobel Peace Prize for what he says are his efforts to stop eight wars. Rodriguez in her speech also announced plans for legal reforms to Venezuela’s oil sector -- which currently limit the involvement of foreign entities -- but did not give specific details.

Source: Dhaka Tribune January 16, 2026 09:21 UTC