Disclaimer: Illustration is a symbolic representation created for visual context only. It does not depict an actual event, meeting, or exchange, and should not be interpreted as a factual visual record.
Washington D.C., January 18, 2026: The Norwegian Nobel Committee has issued a formal clarification regarding the non-transferable nature of its honors after Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado presented her 2025 Nobel Peace Prize medal to U.S. President Donald Trump. During an Oval Office meeting on Thursday, January 15, 2026, Machado gifted the framed gold medal to the President as a “symbol of gratitude” on behalf of the Venezuelan people for the recent U.S. military intervention that led to the removal of Nicolás Maduro. While President Trump welcomed the gesture as a “wonderful gift of mutual respect” on social media, the incident has sparked a global debate over the commercialization and political use of international accolades.
In a statement released on Friday, January 16, 2026, the Oslo-based committee emphasized that the “Nobel Prize and the laureate are inseparable”. The committee clarified that although the physical medal, diploma, and prize money are the personal property of the laureate—who may keep, give away, or sell them—the historical record of the award remains unchanged. “Even if the medal or diploma later comes into someone else’s possession, this does not alter who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize,” the committee noted, affirming that the title of laureate cannot be shared or transferred.
The symbolic transfer occurred at a critical diplomatic juncture, as Machado seeks to solidify U.S. backing for her leadership amid the formation of a new transitional government in Venezuela. Norwegian politicians have been vocal in their criticism, with some labeling the public transfer of the medal to a sitting head of state as “absurd” and damaging to the integrity of the prize. Despite the controversy, Machado remains the official 2025 laureate, while the physical medal remains in President Trump’s possession at the White House.
