Maria Corina Machado
Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado presented her Nobel Peace Prize to President Donald Trump on Thursday during her visit to the White House.
Machado told reporters that she offered to share her medallion with President Trump following what she described as his “historic” role in deposing former Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro from his role.
According to a post by Machado’s spokesperson, Machado told lawmakers on Capitol Hill that she had an “extraordinary” encounter with President Trump, additionally deeming the meeting between them as “excellent” when talking to reporters.
"Two hundred years ago, General Lafayette gave Simon Bolivar a medal with George Washington's face [on] it. Bolivar...kept that medal for the rest of his life. "When you see his portraits, you can see the medal there, and it was given by General Lafayette as a sign of the brotherhood between the United States, people of United States, and the people of Venezuela in their fight for freedom against tyranny." Now, 2 centuries later, "the people of Bolivar are giving back to the heir of Washington a medal — in this case, a medal of the Nobel Peace Prize — as a recognition of his unique commitment with our freedom,” Machado explained to reporters the words she uttered to President Trump.
The White House confirmed that Trump accepted the gesture by Machado.
Machado was given the medallion for being a "key, unifying figure in a political opposition that was once deeply divided — an opposition that found common ground in the demand for free elections and representative government."
As the meeting occurred, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said that President Trump was looking forward to meeting Machado, but that he remained firm in his "realistic" evaluation that she did not currently have the backing needed to lead the nation in the short term.
President Trump expressed that he believes it would be “tough” for her to govern Venezuela because “she doesn't have the support within — or the respect within — the country."
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