Maria Corina Machado, the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize laureate, has presented her medal to US President Donald Trump for his support of Venezuela's “struggle for freedom.” Trump thanked the Venezuelan opposition leader, calling her “a wonderful woman who has been through so much”.
Machado's gift to Trump is being seen as an attempt to curry favour with him. The US President has, for now, expressed support for Venezuela's interim government led by Delcy Rodriguez.
Trump has accepted the medal, a White House official told ABC News. The Nobel Peace Prize itself, though, remains Machado's and cannot be conferred on Trump under the rules of the Nobel Foundation.
What The Nobel Rules Say
Once a Nobel Peace Prize is awarded, it cannot be transferred, shared, or given to someone else, according to the Norwegian Nobel Institute and the Nobel Committee. This is a fundamental principle in the foundation's statutes established under Alfred Nobel's will.
While a laureate may do what they like with the physical medal or cash award, the official title and honour of a Nobel Peace Prize recipient stays with the chosen laureate forever and cannot be transferred to another person.
That means Machado remains the official 2025 Nobel Peace Prize winner. Trump can hold or display the medal given to him by Machado, but he does not become a Nobel Peace Prize laureate.
How The Nobel Medal Looks
The Nobel Peace Prize medal is a gold disc, 6.6 cm wide and weighing 196 grams. It shows a portrait of Alfred Nobel on the front, and on the back, three naked men hold each other's shoulders to symbolise brotherhood. The design has stayed the same for more than 120 years.
Other Nobel Medals That Found New Homes
Some medals have changed hands after being awarded. Dmitry Muratov's 2021 Nobel Peace medal was auctioned for over $100 million to support Ukrainian refugees.
The medal displayed at the Nobel Peace Center on loan originally belonged to Christian Lous Lange, Norway's first Peace Prize laureate.
Can A Nobel Peace Prize Be Revoked?
A Nobel Peace Prize cannot be revoked. Neither Alfred Nobel's will nor the Statutes of the Nobel Foundation allow for this. Once a laureate is announced, the decision is final and permanent.
The Norwegian Nobel Committee evaluates candidates only up to the point of the award and does not judge the actions of laureates afterward.
Maria Machado: 2025 Nobel Peace Prize Winner
Machado won last year's Nobel Peace Prize for her efforts to “promote democratic rights in Venezuela” and push the country from dictatorship toward democracy. When the award was announced in October 2025, Machado dedicated the prize to the Venezuelan people and to Trump, praising his support for her country's democratic movement.
Last week, she said she would like to give or share her Nobel Peace Prize with Trump, who oversaw the US raid that removed Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro. Many international powers like China, Russia, and Spain have called the US operation an “abduction.”
Maduro claimed he was “kidnapped” and now faces drug trafficking charges in New York, to which he has pleaded not guilty.
