WASHINGTON (AP) 鈥� Venezuelan opposition leader Mar铆a Corina Machado said she presented her Nobel Peace Prize medal to President Donald Trump at the White House on Thursday even as he has questioned her credibility to take over her country after the U.S. ousted then-President Nicol谩s Maduro.
The has said Machado could not give her prize to Trump, an honor that he has coveted. Even if it the gesture proves to be purely symbolic, it was extraordinary given that Trump has effectively sidelined Machado, who has long been the face of resistance in Venezuela. He has signaled his willingness to work with , who had been Maduro鈥檚 second in command.
鈥淚 presented the president of the United States the medal, the Nobel Peace Prize,” Machado told reporters after leaving the White House and heading to Capitol Hill. She said she had done so “as a recognition for his unique commitment with our freedom.鈥�
Trump confirmed later on social media that Machado had left the medal for him to keep, and he said it was an honor to meet her.
鈥淪he is a wonderful woman who has been through so much. Mar铆a presented me with her Nobel Peace Prize for the work I have done,鈥� Trump said in his post. 鈥淪uch a wonderful gesture of mutual respect. Thank you Mar铆a!鈥�
The White House later posted a photo of Machado standing next to Trump in the Oval Office as he holds the medal in a large frame. A text in the frame reads, “Presented as a personal symbol of gratitude on behalf of the Venezuelan people in recognition of President Trump鈥檚 principled and decisive action to secure a free Venezuela.鈥�
Trump has raised doubts about his stated commitment to backing democratic rule in Venezuela, giving no timetable on when elections might be held. Machado indicated that he had provided few specifics on that front during their discussion.
She did not provide more information on what was said.
鈥榃e can count on President Trump鈥�
After the closed-door meeting, Machado greeted dozens of cheering supporters waiting for her near the White House gates, stopping to hug many.
鈥淲e can count on President Trump,鈥� she told them without elaborating, prompting some to briefly chant, 鈥淭hank you, Trump.鈥�
Before her visit to Washington, Machado had not been seen in public since she traveled last month to Norway, where her daughter received the peace prize on her behalf. She had spent 11 months in hiding in Venezuela before she appeared in Norway after the ceremony.
The jubilant scene after her meeting with Trump stood in contrast to political realities in Venezuela. Rodr铆guez remains in charge of day-to-day government operations, along with others in Maduro鈥檚 inner circle. In Thursday, the interim president promoted the resumption of diplomatic ties between the historic adversaries and advocated for opening the state-run oil industry to more foreign investment after Trump pledged to of Venezuelan crude sales.
Trump has said it would be difficult for Machado to lead because she 鈥渄oesn鈥檛 have the support within or the respect within the country.鈥� Her party is widely believed to have rejected by Maduro.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt called Machado 鈥渁 remarkable and brave voice鈥� but also said the meeting didn鈥檛 mean Trump鈥檚 opinion of her changed, calling it 鈥渁 realistic assessment.鈥�
Leavitt told reporters that Trump supported new Venezuelan elections 鈥渨hen the time is right鈥� but did not say when he thought that might be.
A 鈥榝rank and positive discussion鈥� about Venezuela
Leavitt said Machado had sought the face-to-face meeting without setting expectations for what would occur. She spent about two and a half hours at the White House.
鈥淚 don鈥檛 think he needs to hear anything from Ms. Machado,” the press secretary said while the meeting was still going on, other than to have a 鈥漟rank and positive discussion about what鈥檚 taking place in Venezuela.鈥�
After leaving the White House, Machado went on to a closed-door meeting with a bipartisan group of senators.
Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., said Machado told them that 鈥渋f there鈥檚 not some progress, real progress towards a transition in power, and/or elections in the next several months, we should all be worried.鈥�
鈥淪he reminded us that Delcy Rodr铆guez is, in many ways, worse than Maduro,鈥� he added.
Asked if Machado had heard any commitment from the White House on holding elections in Venezuela, Murphy said, 鈥淣o, I don鈥檛 think she got any commitment from them.”
Sen. Bernie Moreno, an Ohio Republican, was exultant following the meeting, saying Machado “delivered a message that loud and clear: What President Trump did was the most important, significant event in Latin America. That getting rid of Maduro was absolutely essential.鈥�
Machado’s Washington stop coincided with U.S. forces in the Caribbean Sea that the Trump administration says had ties to Venezuela. It is part of a broader U.S. effort to take control of after and his wife less than two weeks ago at a heavily guarded compound in the Venezuelan capital of Caracas and brought them to New York to stand trial on .
Leavitt said Venezuela’s interim authorities have been fully cooperating with the Trump administration and noted that Rodr铆guez’s government said it planned to release more . Among those released were this week.
Trump said Wednesday that he had a 鈥済reat conversation鈥� with Rodr铆guez, their first since Maduro was ousted.
Machado doesn’t get the nod from Trump
Just hours after Maduro’s capture, Trump said of Machado that 鈥渋t would be very tough for her to be the leader.鈥� Machado had steered a careful course to avoid offending Trump, notably after , and had sought to cultivate relationships with him and key administration voices like .
The industrial engineer and daughter of a steel magnate, Machado began challenging the ruling party in 2004, when the nongovernmental organization she co-founded, S煤mate, promoted a referendum to recall then-President Hugo Ch谩vez. The initiative failed, and Machado and other S煤mate executives were charged with conspiracy.
A year later, she drew the anger of Ch谩vez and his allies again for traveling to Washington to meet President George W. Bush, whom Ch谩vez considered an adversary.
Almost two decades later, she marshaled millions of Venezuelans to reject Ch谩vez鈥檚 successor, Maduro, for another term in the 2024 election. But ruling party-loyal electoral authorities declared him the winner despite ample credible evidence to the contrary. Ensuing anti-government protests ended in a .
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Garcia Cano reported from Caracas, Venezuela. Associated Press writers Lisa Mascaro, Stephen Groves, Michelle L. Price and Matthew Lee in Washington, and Megan Janetsky in Mexico City contributed to this report.
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