Washington– The organization that oversees the Nobel Peace Prize has thrown cold water on talk of Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado handing over her latest award to President Donald Trump.
Once the Nobel Peace Prize is announced, it cannot be annulled, transferred or shared with others, the Norwegian Nobel Institute said in a short statement on Friday.
She added, “The decision is final and lasts forever.”
The statement comes after Machado said she would like to give or share the award with Trump, who oversaw the successful US operation to capture authoritarian Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. He faces drug trafficking charges in New York.
“I would certainly like to be able to tell him personally that we believe — the Venezuelan people, because this is an award for the Venezuelan people — we certainly want to give it to him and share it with him,” Machado told Fox News host Sean Hannity on Monday. “What he did is historic. It is a big step towards democratic transformation.”
Machado dedicated the award to Trump, along with the people of Venezuela, shortly after it was announced. Trump has aspired and openly campaigned to win a Nobel Prize himself since returning to office.
And when it comes to governing Venezuela after Maduro’s arrest, Trump has so far backed someone else: Acting President Delcy Rodriguez, who served as vice president under Maduro.
He described Machado as a “very nice woman” but said she did not currently have support within Venezuela to govern. He told Hannity on Thursday that Machado plans to visit next week and referred to a possible Peace Prize offer as a “great honor.”
A representative for Machado did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment.
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