Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado presented her Nobel Peace Prize medal to US President Donald Trump during a meeting at the White House on Thursday, aiming to influence his efforts to shape her country’s political future.
A White House official confirmed that Trump intended to keep the medal.
In a social media post Thursday evening, Trump wrote: “Maria presented me with her Nobel Peace Prize for the work I have done. A wonderful gesture of mutual respect. Thank you Maria!”
Machado, who called the meeting “excellent,” said the gift was recognition of what she called his commitment to the freedom of the Venezuelan people.
The White House later released a photo of Trump and Machado with the president holding a large gold frame displaying the medal.
The accompanying text read: “To President Donald J. Trump in appreciation for your extraordinary leadership in promoting peace through force,” and called the gesture “a personal symbol of gratitude on behalf of the Venezuelan people.”
Machado’s attempt to influence Trump came after he rejected the idea of installing him as Venezuela’s leader to replace ousted Nicolas Maduro.
Trump openly campaigned for the award before Machado received it last month and complained bitterly when he was snubbed.
Although Machado presented Trump with the gold medal that winners receive with this award, the honor remains with him; the Norwegian Nobel Institute said the prize could not be transferred, shared or revoked.
Asked on Wednesday whether he wanted Machado to give him the prize, Trump told Reuters: “No, I didn’t say that. She won the Nobel Peace Prize.”
The Republican president has long expressed interest in this prize and sometimes associates it with diplomatic achievements.
The working lunch, which seemed to last just over an hour, marked the first time the two had met in person.
Machado then met with more than a dozen senators, both Republicans and Democrats, at the Capitol, where she generally found more enthusiastic allies.
During the visit, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump looked forward to meeting with Machado but maintained his “realistic” assessment that she did not currently have the support needed to lead the country in the short term.
Machado, who fled the South American nation in a daring maritime escape in December, is competing for Trump’s ear with members of Venezuela’s government and seeking to ensure she plays a role in the country’s future governance.
After the United States captured Maduro in a raid this month, opposition figures, members of the Venezuelan diaspora and politicians across the United States and Latin America expressed hope that Venezuela would begin a process of democratization.
Hopes for a transition to democracy
Democratic Sen. Chris Murphy, one of the senators who met with Machado, said the opposition leader told senators that repression in Venezuela was no different from that under Maduro.
Venezuela’s interim president, Delcy Rodriguez, is a “smooth operator” who is gaining a foothold every day thanks to Trump’s support, he said.
“I hope an election happens, but I’m skeptical,” said Murphy, of Connecticut.
Trump has said he is focused on ensuring U.S. access to the country’s oil and rebuilding Venezuela economically.
Trump has repeatedly praised Rodriguez, Maduro’s number two who became Venezuela’s leader after his capture. In an interview with Reuters on Wednesday, Trump said, “She was very pleasant to deal with.”
Machado was barred from running in Venezuela’s 2024 presidential election by a top court made up of Maduro allies.
Outside observers generally believe that Edmundo Gonzalez, an opposition figure supported by Machado, won by a substantial margin, but Maduro claimed victory and retained power.
While the current government has released dozens of political prisoners in recent days, outside groups and advocates have said the scale of the releases has been exaggerated by Caracas.
In an annual speech to lawmakers, Rodriguez called for diplomacy with the United States and said that if she needed to go to Washington, she would do so “walking on her feet, not being dragged there.”
She also said she would propose reforms to her country’s oil industry aimed at increasing access for foreign investors.
Source | domain www.cnbc.com
