Nobel Committee rejects Trump’s claim to accept Machado’s Peace Prize. (Photo: X, ANI)
US President Donald Trump’s claim that he would accept the Nobel Peace Prize from Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado has been firmly rejected by the Nobel Committee, which reiterated that the prestigious award cannot be shared, transferred, or revoked once announced.
Trump’s remark came ahead of a scheduled meeting with Machado next week, during which he claimed she intended to “share” her Nobel Peace Prize with him. The Nobel Committee, however, has categorically shut the door on such a possibility.
Quoting the official rules, the Nobel Committee clarified that the award is strictly non-transferable.
“The facts are clear and well established. Once a Nobel Prize is announced, it cannot be revoked, shared, or transferred to others. The decision is final and stands for all time,”
– Nobel Peace Prize website
The statement directly contradicts Trump’s assertion that he could accept the prize if Machado offered it to him.
María Corina Machado was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize 2025 for her sustained and non-violent struggle for democracy in Venezuela. The opposition leader emerged as the sole laureate, beating global contenders including Trump, who has repeatedly said he deserved the honour.
Machado’s Nobel recognition came amid Venezuela’s prolonged political crisis and international pressure on the Nicolás Maduro regime.
Trump has frequently argued that he deserves the Nobel Peace Prize, citing what he calls his role in “stopping eight wars.”
“You should get a Nobel Prize for every war you stopped. These were major wars. These were wars nobody thought could have been stopped,”
Trump said recently.
He has also criticised former US President Barack Obama for receiving the Nobel Peace Prize, claiming Obama “didn’t do anything.”
Trump’s comments came as US-Venezuela relations hit a new low following a dramatic US military operation that led to the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
Speaking about his meeting with Machado, Trump said,
“I think it’s very nice she wants to come in, and that’s what I understand the reason is.”
The White House has not provided details suggesting that Machado intends to share or transfer the Nobel Prize.
The US carried out a large-scale military strike against Venezuela after months of military buildup in the Caribbean, including the deployment of the USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier.
Washington has long accused Maduro of being a major narco-trafficker, alleging ties with drug cartels and the Colombian guerrilla group FARC to smuggle cocaine and weapons into the US.
In January 2026, US forces captured Maduro and his wife and transferred them to New York, marking a dramatic escalation in bilateral tensions.
US-Venezuela relations have remained strained since Hugo Chávez took office in 1999 and openly adopted an anti-US, socialist stance. Diplomatic ties deteriorated further after accusations of US involvement in Venezuela’s 2002 coup attempt and repeated expulsions of American diplomats.
Although relations briefly thawed under President Barack Obama, they worsened again in later years, culminating in sanctions, gang designations, airstrikes, and the eventual capture of Maduro during Trump’s second term.
Despite Trump’s assertions, Nobel rules are unambiguous: a Nobel Peace Prize cannot be shared, transferred, or accepted by anyone other than the declared laureate.
As the Nobel Committee has made clear, Machado’s prize remains hers alone final and non-negotiable.
Sofia Babu Chacko is a journalist with over five years of experience covering Indian politics, crime, human rights, gender issues, and stories about marginalized communities. She believes that every voice matters, and journalism has a vital role to play in amplifying those voices. Sofia is committed to creating impact and shedding light on stories that truly matter. Beyond her work in the newsroom, she is also a music enthusiast who enjoys singing.
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