The Nobel Foundation has stepped in with a clarification, days after Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado handed her Nobel Peace Prize 2025 medal to US President Donald Trump. The Foundation said clearly that a Nobel Prize cannot be given to someone else, even as a gesture.
What did the Nobel Foundation say?
"A prize can not, even symbolically, be passed on or further distributed," the Nobel Foundation said in a statement on Sunday. It added that one of its key duties is to "safeguard the dignity of the Nobel Prizes and their administration," Hindustan Times reported.
Explaining its position further, the Foundation said, "The Foundation upholds Alfred Nobel's will and its stipulations. It states that the prizes shall be awarded to those who 'have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind,' and it specifies who has the right to award each respective prize."
The statement followed Machado's visit to the White House on December 15, where she met Trump and presented him with her medal. She described the move as a "recognition for his unique commitment with (Venezuela's) freedom." Trump later confirmed the exchange on Truth Social, saying he had "accepted" the prize from her.
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Meeting with Donald Trump triggered controversy
Machado's visit came amid reports that the US President had "chosen" Delcy Rodriguez as Venezuela's interim president after Nicolas Maduro's alleged 'capture' by US forces earlier this month.
Earlier as well, the Nobel Committee had made its stand clear. It said the prize could not be "revoked, shared, or transferred to others." After the medal was presented to President Trump, the Norwegian Nobel Institute also stated that the award remains inseparably linked to the individual or organisation named as the laureate, Hindustan Times reported.
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Reacting to the meeting, Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social, "It was my Great Honor to meet Maria Corina Machado, of Venezuela, today. She is a wonderful woman who has been through so much. Maria presented me with her Nobel Peace Prize for the work I have done. Such a wonderful gesture of mutual respect. Thank you Maria!"
