Venezuela's Machado says she presented Trump with her Nobel Peace Prize medal: 'Recognition for his...'

Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado (Picture: Reuters)

• Maria Corina Machado presented Trump with her Nobel Peace Prize medal
• Machado called the meeting with Trump "historic" for Venezuelans
• Trump has not commented on the meeting yet

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Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado told reporters on Thursday that she presented US President Donald Trump with her Nobel Peace Prize medal during their private meeting at the White House.

She declined to respond to questions on whether he accepted it, according to a report by Reuters.

"I presented the president of the United States the medal of the Nobel Peace Prize," Machado told reporters outside the US Capitol. Machado said she presented Trump the prestigious award out of "recognition for his unique commitment with our freedom".

Trump, who has often expressed his desire for a Nobel Peace Prize, was unhappy when the award was given to Machado, which she accepted last year. Machado said last week she would share the honour with Trump, though the Nobel Committee subsequently clarified that the prize cannot be transferred.

Machado’s meet with Trump

The lunch meeting, which appeared to last slightly over an hour, marked the first time the two have met in person. Machado then met with more than a dozen senators, both Republican and Democratic, on Capitol Hill, where she has generally found more enthusiastic allies.

After talks with Trump, Machado said it was a “historic” day for Venezuelans, while also describing the meeting as “excellent”. Trump is yet to comment on the meeting.

While the visit was ongoing, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump had been looking forward to meeting Machado, but that he stood by his "realistic" assessment that she did not currently have the support needed to lead the country in the short term.

Machado, who escaped Venezuela in a dramatic seaborne flight last December, is seeking to engage Trump while competing with members of Venezuela’s government for influence, hoping to secure a place in the nation’s future leadership.

After the US captured longtime ruler Nicolas Maduro in a snatch-and-grab operation earlier this month, opposition figures, diaspora groups and political leaders across the US and Latin America have expressed optimism that Venezuela may finally begin a transition toward democratic rule.

"I know the president was looking forward to this meeting, and he was expecting it to be a good and positive discussion with Miss Machado, who is really a remarkable and brave voice for many of the people of Venezuela," Leavitt told reporters during a briefing as the meeting was ongoing.