Image: from Mark Robak X@MarkRobak
By Open Chronicle News Desk with Agencies | January 12, 2026
The Norwegian Nobel Institute has responded firmly to recent remarks by Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado, clarifying that the Nobel Peace Prize cannot be revoked, shared, or transferred once it has been awarded.
The statement comes after Machado, who was awarded the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize for her efforts to defend democratic rights and promote a peaceful transition from authoritarian rule in Venezuela, suggested in a recent interview that she might give her prize to U.S. President Donald Trump as a gesture of gratitude. Machado made the comments on Fox News, saying that offering or sharing the prize with Trump would be “an act of gratitude from the Venezuelan people” for the U.S. operation that captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife earlier this month.
However, the Nobel Institute’s statement released Friday reiterated that once a Nobel Prize is announced, the decision is final and permanent under the Statutes of the Nobel Foundation. “Once a Nobel Prize is announced, it cannot be revoked, shared, or transferred to others,” the committee said, emphasizing that its award decisions are unchangeable.
Machado’s prize was bestowed in October 2025 in recognition of her leadership in Venezuela’s pro-democracy movement and her struggle for a peaceful transition away from decades of authoritarian control. In her Fox News interview, she praised Trump’s role in the U.S. military operation that led to Maduro’s capture, and Trump responded that he would consider it “a great honor” if she offered the prize to him.
Despite Trump’s comments, the Nobel Committee made clear that no laureate can relinquish, transfer, or reassign the award after it has been conferred, because Nobel Prizes are tied to the original recipient’s achievements and Nobel statutes do not provide a mechanism to alter or appeal award decisions.
The committee also noted that it does not comment on what prize winners do or say after receiving the award, a policy meant to preserve the integrity and independence of the Nobel Peace Prize process.
Machado’s remarks have drawn international attention not only for their unusual nature but also for the broader political context surrounding Venezuela’s ongoing crisis and the recent shift in U.S. involvement in the region. Nonetheless, the Nobel Institute’s response underscores the legal and symbolic permanence of its awards.
Summary: The Nobel Peace Prize awarded to María Corina Machado cannot be transferred to another person, including President Trump. The Norwegian Nobel Committee has reaffirmed that Nobel Prizes are final and irreversible once announced, regardless of subsequent political developments.