The Norwegian Nobel Institute has clarified that Nobel Peace Prizes cannot be transferred, shared or revoked, following comments by Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado suggesting she might give her 2025 award to U.S. President Donald Trump.
In a statement, the institute cited the statutes of the Nobel Foundation and stressed the permanence of every award once announced.
“Once a Nobel Prize is announced, it cannot be revoked, shared or transferred to others,” the Norwegian Nobel Committee and the Norwegian Nobel Institute said. “The decision is final and stands for all time.”
The clarification came after Machado appeared on Fox News earlier in the week and spoke about presenting the prize to Trump as a gesture of gratitude for U.S. actions in Venezuela, including the capture of Nicolás Maduro last week.
Asked by Sean Hannity whether she had indeed offered to give the prize to Trump, Machado replied: “Well, it hasn’t happened yet.”
Trump, who has previously expressed interest in winning the Nobel Peace Prize, responded in a separate appearance on the same program, saying it would be a “great honor” and that he expected to meet Machado in Washington next week.
Machado, a former National Assembly member, won the Venezuelan opposition primary in 2023 but was barred from contesting the 2024 general election. She backed a stand-in candidate who was widely believed to have won, despite Maduro declaring himself the victor. Independent observers later reported irregularities in the official results.
As Maduro intensified the crackdown on opposition figures and protesters, Machado went into hiding for more than a year before resurfacing in Norway, where her daughter accepted the Peace Prize on her behalf. The Nobel Committee praised Machado at the time as “one of the most extraordinary examples of civilian courage in Latin America in recent times,” citing her “tireless” efforts in promoting democratic change.
Machado has said she intends to return to Venezuela “as soon as possible,” while Trump has claimed that she does not have enough support or respect to lead the country. Washington has instead backed Delcy Rodríguez, Maduro’s longtime ally and vice president, as acting president while maintaining that the United States will “run” Venezuela for the foreseeable future.
