By Micah Jonah
January 16, 2026
United States President, Donald Trump on Thursday met privately with Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado at the White House, marking their first face to face meeting since tensions escalated in Venezuela following recent political developments.
Unlike previous visits by foreign political figures, the meeting was held behind closed doors with no press conference, no immediate official statement from the White House on the outcome of the talks.
Machado later told reporters that the discussion focused on the future of Venezuela and the political direction of the country. She also confirmed that she presented Trump with her Nobel Peace Prize medal, which she received in October for her role in promoting democratic reforms in Venezuela.
She shared a historical account with Trump about how French General, Marquis de Lafayette once gave Venezuelan independence hero, Simon Bolivar a medal bearing the image of George Washington, which Bolivar reportedly kept for the rest of his life.
The Nobel Committee has previously stated that the Peace Prize is not transferable, cannot be shared with another individual.
Machado remains a key figure within Venezuela’s opposition movement, which has accused authorities of widespread political repression and human rights abuses. Rights groups estimate that hundreds of political detainees remain in custody across the country.
She won overwhelming support during the opposition primary ahead of the 2024 election but was later barred from holding public office. Another opposition candidate, Edmundo Gonzalez, later stood in the election amid disputes over the transparency of the final results.
Since then, Machado and other opposition leaders have continued to insist that the opposition has a legitimate mandate to be involved in determining the country’s political future as Venezuela faces deep economic and governance challenges.
