Nobel Peace Prize winner gives medal to President Trump

Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado says she has given her Nobel peace prize medal to US President Donald Trump, at a meeting at the White House.

Ms Machado said it was in recognition of his unique commitment to Venezuela's freedom.

Trump said on social media that the move was "a wonderful gesture of mutual respect".

However, the Nobel Committee, who are in charge of choosing the winners, has said the prize cannot be transferred to others.

Venezuela's opposition leader Maria Corina Machado was awarded the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize in October last year.

She was hailed by the Nobel Committee as "one of the most extraordinary examples of civilian courage in Latin America in recent times."

The committee added that the award was "for her tireless work promoting democratic rights for the people of Venezuela and for her struggle to achieve a just and peaceful transition from dictatorship to democracy."

Ms Machado has spent many years fighting for democracy in the South American country as opposition leader, challenging former President Nicolás Maduro's government - who first came to power in 2013.

In 2024, she was blocked from running in the presidential election, which ended in President Maduro declaring himself as the winner.

Many people, both in Venezuela and internationally, said that the elections weren't fair, and that the opposition's alternative candidate - who stood in Ms Machado's absence - had actually won the election.

Earlier this month, the US captured the then President of Venezuela, Mr Maduro, after President Trump ordered military strikes on the country.

The US said that Mr Maduro was not elected legally and that he was leading an international drug trafficking organisation, something that President Maduro had denied. Some countries have criticised the US for the military action in Venezuela.

Mr Maduro is now being held in the US, and President Trump says the US will "run" Venezuela until there is a "proper" handover of power.

President Trump has never won a Nobel prize, but he has spoken about the fact that he would like to be awarded the Peace Prize, both before and after Ms Machado was given the award.

Ms Machado said last week that she would share her Prize with Trump, but the Nobel Committee later explained that this was not allowed.

"Once a Nobel Prize is announced, it cannot be revoked, shared, or transferred to others," it said in a statement last week.

"The decision is final and stands for all time, " they added.

Despite this, Ms Machado handed her medal to President Trump during a meeting at the White House.

Afterwards she explained: "I presented the president of the United States the medal of the Nobel Peace Prize," calling it "a recognition for his unique commitment with our freedom."

Trump has said it would be an "honour" to accept the award.

The Nobel Prize is one of the world's most important awards, created by Swedish inventor, scientist and businessman Alfred Nobel.

It celebrates the work of people or organisations around the world who have made major achievements different areas, to help the world.

The Nobel Prize is split into six categories - Physics, Chemistry, Medicine, Literature, Peace and Economic Sciences - although the Peace Prize is probably the most famous.

Since it began in 1901, more than 1,000 people and organisations have won a Nobel Prize, including human rights activist Malala Yousafzai, and famous physicist Albert Einstein.

Who exactly gets nominated for a Nobel prize is a well-guarded secret, with nominations only allowed to be made public 50 years later.