Trump to meet Nobel laureate Venezuelan leader: Great honour if she shares her prize

US President Donald Trump said he plans to meet Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado in Washington next week and indicated he would accept a share of her Nobel Peace Prize, which she has said she wants to offer him.

Speaking during an interview with Fox News’s Sean Hannity that aired on Thursday, Trump confirmed that Machado, the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize winner, is expected to visit the US capital soon. "I understand she’s coming in next week sometime, and I look forward to saying hello to her," Trump said. He added that he had heard Machado wanted to share the prize with him, calling that "a great honour".

The White House did not immediately provide details about Machado’s trip or clarify whether a formal meeting had been scheduled, nor did it outline the agenda for any potential talks.

Machado, a longtime critic of former Venezuelan president Nicols Maduro, has emerged as one of the most prominent figures in the country’s opposition.

She won the Nobel Peace Prize in October for her political activism and efforts to promote democratic change in Venezuela. Earlier this week, she said she had not spoken directly with Trump since the prize was announced.

The anticipated meeting would mark Trump’s first direct encounter with Machado and comes amid uncertainty over Venezuela’s political future following a US operation that led to the arrest of Maduro.

Maduro and his wife were taken to New York to face narco-terrorism charges, while Vice President Delcy Rodrguez has assumed the role of interim acting president.

During the Fox News interview, Trump said Venezuela was not currently in a position to hold elections.

"We have to rebuild the country. They couldn't have an election," he said. "They wouldn’t even know how to have an election right now". He added that restoring stability and infrastructure would take time before a credible vote could be organised.

Trump has previously expressed skepticism about Machado’s ability to govern Venezuela, saying over the weekend that she lacked sufficient domestic support. "She doesn’t have the support within, or the respect within, the country," he said, while also describing her as "a very nice woman".

Machado, however, has said she believes she would win decisively if free and fair elections were held.

She was barred by Maduro’s government from running in the last general election after winning the opposition primary, and independent audits later challenged the validity of the official results.

Trump also highlighted Venezuela’s vast oil reserves as central to its recovery. He said oil sales to the United States would begin immediately, and that American companies would invest heavily in rebuilding the country’s energy sector. "They’re going to rebuild the whole oil infrastructure," Trump said, adding that at least USD 100 billion would be spent.

In her recent Fox News appearance, Machado praised Trump’s actions, thanking him "on behalf of the Venezuelan people" for what she described as a "courageous mission," and reiterating her desire to share the Nobel Peace Prize with him.

- Ends

With agency inputs

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