The Nobel Foundation Rebukes Trump “Gift”: Why Maria Corina Machado Can’t Hand Over Her Peace Prize
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Washington DC, a historic diplomatic gesture has sparked a rare and blunt intervention from the Nobel Foundation. After Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado symbolically “gifted” her Nobel Peace Prize to President Donald Trump during a White House meeting last week, the prestigious institution in Stockholm has officially declared the move invalid.
The controversy highlights a clash between the high-stakes politics of the Venezuelan liberation and the 125-year-old traditions of Alfred Nobel’s will.
“It Cannot Be Passed On”: The Foundation Responds
On Sunday, January 18, 2026, the Nobel Foundation issued a stern statement clarifying that a Nobel Prize is not a personal possession that can be traded or re-gifted like a trophy.
“A prize can therefore not, even symbolically, be passed on or further distributed,” the Foundation wrote. “One of the core missions of the Nobel Foundation is to safeguard the dignity of the Nobel Prizes… It states that the prizes shall be awarded to those who ‘have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind.'”
The Norwegian Nobel Institute echoed this sentiment, noting that once a prize is awarded, the decision is “final and stands for all time,” and cannot be revoked or shared by the recipient.
Machado’s Gesture: A Tribute to “Liberation”
Machado, who has been the face of the Venezuelan resistance for years, defended her decision during an appearance on FOX & Friends Weekend. She explained that the gesture was made on behalf of the Venezuelan people to thank Trump for the historic capture of dictator Nicolás Maduro earlier this month.
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The Motivation: Machado credited Trump’s “bold action” and the use of U.S. forces to remove Maduro as a turning point for the entire Western Hemisphere.
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The Moment: “He deserves it,” Machado told co-host Rachel Campos-Duffy. “It was a very emotional moment… presenting the prize to the President on behalf of the Venezuelan people.”
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Trump’s Reaction: The President acknowledged the gift on Truth Social, calling it a “wonderful gesture of mutual respect.”
The Captured Dictator: Context of the Meeting
The meeting comes at a fever pitch for international relations. Just weeks ago, on January 3, 2026, images of Venezuelans celebrating in the streets of Lima and Caracas went viral following Trump’s announcement that U.S. forces had successfully captured Nicolás Maduro.
While the UN and other international bodies have expressed “upset” over the unilateral nature of the capture, Machado and her supporters view the move as the ultimate humanitarian act, justifying the symbolic transfer of her Peace Prize.
Can a Nobel Prize Be Transferred?
According to the statutes of the Nobel Foundation: No.
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Legal Standing: The prize is awarded to a specific individual or organization based on a specific body of work.
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Symbolism vs. Reality: While Machado can physically hand the gold medal to the President, the Nobel Foundation will continue to list María Corina Machado—and only her—as the official laureate in the history books.
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Trump deserves the Nobel Peace Prize more than any world leader, as he has ended many wars.
But the liberal ftards will never give it to him.
They gave it to Obama because he was black, so it shows they are biased libtards.
100% agreed
The prize is hers.
She can do whatever she wants with it.
How insecure do you have to be though to accept someone else’s Nobel Peace Prize?
Even a subscription offer to The New Yorker that arrived in my mailbox last week said it was nontransferable.
I wouldn’t even paper train my dog with that left wing rag
Good to see that you respect your dog!