In a photo from the White House, Trump is seen accepting the medal in front of a framed painting. He stands side by side with Machado, smiling.
"A fantastic gesture of mutual respect. Thank you María," Trump writes on the Truth Social platform.
The president also says Machado is a "fantastic woman" who has been through a lot.
The plaque states that the medal is being given to President Trump for his “extraordinary leadership,” and as a “personal token of gratitude on behalf of the Venezuelan people.”
Offered to share
Anonymous sources in the American media claim that Donald Trump will keep the medal. However, the plaque clearly states that it was awarded to María Corina Machado.
Opposition leader Machado was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize last fall for her fight for freedom and democracy in Venezuela. She has since offered to share the prize with Trump.
In a US strike on Venezuela this week, US soldiers captured the country's authoritarian President Nicolás Maduro and removed him from the country. However, President Trump has expressed no interest in promoting Machado as a possible new leader for Venezuela, where a struggling socialist movement is governing without Maduro.
“Very pathetic”
The Norwegian Nobel Committee and the Nobel Institute have stated that "once a prize has been awarded, it cannot be withdrawn, divided or passed on to other persons", and that this applies for all time.
In Norway, the decision to give away the medal is causing strong reactions, with various top academics calling it "embarrassing and disrespectful."
"And it's a meaningless act, because you can't give away a prize. It's the prize itself: the honor of receiving it. So this is very pathetic, I have to say," says Janne Haaland Matlary, professor of international politics at the University of Oslo, to NRK .
