A meeting with intense symbolism took place on Thursday at the White House, where the leader of the opposition in Venezuela, Maria Corina Machado, offered Donald Trump the Nobel Peace Prize that she was awarded in December, a move that sparked international debate and reactions.
In a post on social media, the American president wrote:
"It was a great honor to meet Maria Corina Machado from Venezuela today. She is a wonderful woman who has been through so much. Maria offered me her Nobel Peace Prize for the work I have done. Such a wonderful gesture of mutual respect. Thank you, Maria!"
Trump on the Nobel Prize presented to him by Machado: "A wonderful gesture of mutual respect"
"I presented the medal to the President of the United States"
Machado herself confirmed the fact, stating that during the meeting and lunch she had with Trump at the White House – without the presence of journalists – she presented him with the Nobel Peace Medal.
"I presented the medal, the Nobel Peace Prize, to the president of the United States," she said characteristically, linking her movement to a historical example from Latin America.
As he explained, he referred to Simon Bolivar and the fact that two hundred years ago the Marquis de Lafayette had given him a medal with the face of George Washington, which Bolivar kept throughout his life.
"Two hundred years later, the people of Bolívar return to Washington's heir a medal – in this case the Nobel Peace Prize – in recognition of his unique commitment to our freedom," he said.
It is recalled that the Norwegian Nobel Committee has made it clear that the Nobel Peace Prize is not donated or transferred, which creates an institutional issue surrounding the symbolism of the movement.
Support without an election timetable
The White House confirmed the meeting, noting that President Trump made a "realistic assessment" of Machado's popular support, without however giving any timetable for holding elections in Venezuela.
White House spokeswoman Caroline Levitt had earlier said that the election was not going to be a topic of discussion at the dinner, with Trump mainly seeking to be informed about the situation in the country.
After the meeting, Machado stated that "we will always be able to count on President Trump for the freedom of Venezuela," describing the meeting as "wonderful."
The politician, who recently fled Venezuela where she had been hiding for months, is seeking to secure a future role in the governance of her country, with the Nobel gesture taking on a clearly political and symbolic character.
Source: protothema.gr
