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U.S. President Donald Trump met with Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado on Thursday in a high-stakes encounter that could affect how the Republican administration seeks to shape the South American country’s political future.
After the meeting, Machado told reporters she had presented Trump her Nobel Peace Prize — which she previously offered to share with Trump after winning it last year last year — though it was not immediately clear whether he had accepted the medal, which he has long coveted.
Machado said she had done so in recognition of his commitment to the freedom of the Venezuelan people.
“Two hundred years ago, Gen. Lafayette gave Simón Bolívar a medal with George Washington’s face on it … as a sign of the brotherhood between the United States, people of United States, and the people of Venezuela in their fight for freedom against tyranny,” Machado told reporters, comparing her offer to that of the Marquis de Lafayette’s gift to Bolívar, the Venezuelan military leader who fought for Latin American independence from the Spanish empire in the early 19th century.
“The people of Bolivar are giving back to the heir of Washington, a medal, in this case a medal of a Nobel Peace Prize, and a recognition for his unique commitment with our freedom.”
WATCH | Machado dedicates peace prize to Trump:
Venezuelan Nobel winner Machado dedicates peace prize to Trump
Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, with the committee noting Machado’s bravery in opposition to President Nicolas Maduro’s authoritarian regime. She dedicated the prize to those suffering in Venezuela, as well as U.S. President Donald Trump for ‘decisive support’ to her cause.
Even if Machado gave Trump her medal, the honour remains hers; the Norwegian Nobel Institute has said the prize cannot be transferred, shared or revoked.
The White House said before the meeting that, if she tried to share the prize with Trump, whether he accepted it would be entirely up to him.
However, even if it was just symbolic, Machado’s gesture was extraordinary, given that Trump has dismissed her credibility to take over leadership of Venezuela after an audacious U.S. military raid that captured then-President Nicolás Maduro.
Trump has instead signaled his willingness to work with acting President Delcy Rodríguez, who was Maduro’s vice-president.
WATCH | Delcy Rodríguez has become interim president of Venezuela:
Who is Venezuela’s interim president Delcy Rodriguez?
With Nicolás Maduro removed from office, Delcy Rodriguez has become Venezuela’s interim president. CBC’s Lyndsay Duncombe breaks down Rodriguez’s rise and the complicated relationship she’s entered with the U.S. government.
In endorsing Rodriguez, Trump has sidelined Machado, who has long been a face of resistance in Venezuela.
That’s despite Machado seeking to cultivate relationships with the president and key administration voices like Secretary of State Marco Rubio, in a gamble to ally herself with the U.S. government and some of its top conservatives.
While the visit was ongoing, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump had been looking forward to meeting Machado, but that he stood by his “realistic” assessment that she did not currently have the support needed to lead the country in the short term.