Trump Declines Support for Venezuela’s Opposition Leader Over Nobel Peace Prize Controversy, Reports Say

Donald Trump and Maria Corina Machado.
Credit :

Leon Neal/Getty; Jonas Been Henriksen / NTB / AFP via Getty

NEEL TO KNOW:

• President Donald Trump’s loss of the Nobel Peace Prize may have impacted his support for Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado.
• Trump actively campaigned for the prize prior to it being awarded to Machado in October.
• A source noted, “If she had turned it down and said, ‘I can’t accept it because it’s Donald Trump’s,’ she’d be the president of Venezuela today.”

A recent report suggests that President Donald Trump’s failure to secure the Nobel Peace Prize may have influenced his reluctance to back María Corina Machado, the Venezuelan opposition leader, amidst the ongoing political upheaval in Venezuela following the capture of President Nicolás Maduro.

In a January 4 report, a source shared with The Washington Post that Machado’s October award of the Nobel Peace Prize, after Trump had ardently campaigned for it, tarnished her prospects of leading Venezuela.

“I think it’d be very tough for her to be the leader,” Trump remarked on Saturday, further asserting that Machado "doesn’t have the support or the respect within the country."

On October 10, it was announced that Machado, a 58-year-old politician described as a "brave and committed champion of peace," received the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize. Although she dedicated the award to Trump, one source from the White House called her acceptance of it an “ultimate sin.”

The source added, “If she had turned it down and said, ‘I can’t accept it because it’s Donald Trump’s,’ she’d be the president of Venezuela today.”

Maria Corina Machado, laureate of the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize, during a news conference in Oslo, Norway.

Lars Martin Hunstad/Bloomberg via Getty

Gustavo González, who stood in for Machado, garnered more than two-thirds of the vote in a previous election. After that election, Maduro refused to relinquish power.

Two months later, Machado was recognized with the Nobel Prize for her dedicated efforts to uphold democratic rights in Venezuela and for advocating a peaceful transition from dictatorship to democracy.

Since assuming office for his second term last year, Trump has maintained that he is deserving of the Nobel Peace Prize for mediating solutions to various "unendable wars."

Following Trump’s remarks, a Venezuelan opposition figure commented on the challenges such statements posed for their colleagues, recognizing that "in every transition, you have to swallow some bitter pills."

This source also indicated that upcoming days might reveal whether Venezuela’s interim leader, Delcy Rodríguez, can facilitate a "soft transition" by appointing new ministers or whether she will continue Maduro’s approach of "gringo guardianship."

Maria Corina Machado, laureate of the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize, at the official opening of the Nobel Peace Prize Exhibition 2025.

Naina Helen Jama/Bloomberg via Getty

A Venezuelan business leader noted that the Trump administration seems to be pursuing an "orderly" political transition and that U.S. officials have shown increased interest in Delcy Rodríguez in recent months.

Rodríguez, described as a pragmatic leader at 56, is reportedly keen on introducing a fresh economic perspective along with a new team.

Trump issued a caution to Rodríguez on Sunday following the arrests of Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores.

“If she doesn’t do what’s right, she is going to pay a very big price, probably bigger than Maduro,” Trump stated, following the military intervention that led to Maduro’s detainment.

Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump emphasized, "We’re in charge," when asked about the interim Venezuelan leader. He acknowledged not having yet spoken directly with Rodríguez but mentioned, "Yeah, at the right time I will."