Nobel Institute Says Machado Cannot Transfer Peace Prize To Trump

MLN — 11 JAN 2026: The Norwegian Nobel Institute has clarified that Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado cannot transfer, share, or give her 2025 Nobel Peace Prize to U.S. President Donald Trump, saying Nobel rules do not allow any prize to be reassigned once it is awarded.

The institute’s statement was issued Friday in response to Machado’s suggestion that she might offer the prize to Trump as a gesture of gratitude. According to the Reuters

Machado, who won the award for her efforts promoting democratic rights in Venezuela, had publicly dedicated the prize to both the Venezuelan people and Trump following the U.S. operation that resulted in the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.

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The Nobel Institute stressed that once a prize is announced it “cannot be revoked, shared, or transferred,” and the decision is final.

Trump, who has expressed interest in receiving a Nobel Peace Prize himself, responded to Machado’s comments by saying he would be honoured, but acknowledged no formal transfer could take place under Nobel guidelines. The president is expected to meet Machado in Washington next week.

The clarification from the Nobel Institute ends speculation about any symbolic prize handover and underscores the strict rules governing Nobel awards, which are designed to remain unchanged once officially conferred.