WASHINGTON : Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado held a closed-door meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House on Thursday, where she formally presented him with her Nobel Peace Prize, an honour Trump has publicly said he believes he deserves.

The private meeting marked the first face-to-face encounter between the two figures and came at a pivotal moment in Venezuela’s political crisis, days after the reported abduction of President Nicolas Maduro.

Machado said she used the meeting to symbolically hand over her Nobel Peace Prize to Trump in recognition of what she described as his role in supporting democratic movements and confronting authoritarian regimes in Latin America. Trump has repeatedly expressed frustration at never having received the prize himself, despite citing diplomatic efforts during his presidency.

Unlike Trump’s typically high-profile Oval Office engagements with foreign leaders, the meeting was held without press access or a joint appearance, underscoring its sensitive political context.

The visit coincided with the inaugural state of the union address by Delcy Rodriguez, whom Trump has endorsed as Venezuela’s interim leader — a position that directly conflicts with Machado’s assertion that the opposition holds a legitimate mandate to govern.

Political analysts said the timing and secrecy of the meeting suggested a calculated effort by both sides to avoid escalating tensions, even as Venezuela’s leadership crisis continues to draw international attention.

Neither the White House nor Machado’s office released an official statement following the meeting.

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