Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado said she would “love” to personally present her Nobel Peace Prize to President Trump, calling his role in the capture of Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro a historic victory for justice. Machado described January 3 — the day U.S. forces apprehended Maduro — as the moment “justice defeated tyranny,” a milestone for freedom and human dignity.
Machado, who had been living in hiding under Maduro’s regime, told Fox News host Sean Hannity that she has not spoken with President Trump since October 10, the same day the Nobel Committee announced her award. The Nobel Peace Prize was bestowed on her for her long struggle against Maduro’s authoritarian rule.
“As soon as I learned we had been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, I dedicated it to President Trump because I believed he deserved it,” Machado said, noting that many people thought achieving Maduro’s capture was impossible until it happened. She called the operation “a huge step for humanity.”
Asked whether she had offered to give Trump the Nobel Prize, she said the gesture hasn’t yet happened but she would love to do so, saying the prize belongs to the Venezuelan people and they would like to share it with him.
While Machado praised the president’s actions, President Trump has cast doubt on her ability to lead Venezuela, saying she lacks the national support needed to govern following Maduro’s ouster. In the wake of the U.S. operation, Delcy Rodríguez — Maduro’s former vice president — was sworn in as interim president.
Rodríguez’s appointment has been backed by U.S. intelligence assessments that she may be in a better position to maintain stability than Machado, who would likely face resistance from paramilitary forces loyal to Maduro.
Meanwhile, Maduro appeared in a New York court on narcotics‑related charges, appearing in chains and insisting he had been “kidnapped.”