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The Nobel Foundation clarified that Nobel Prizes cannot be transferred, even symbolically, after Venezuelan leader María Corina Machado gave her 2025 Peace Prize medal to US President Donald Trump. The Foundation reaffirmed its duty to protect the prize’s integrity, stressing awards remain permanently linked to laureates, despite Trump publicly accepting the medal.

Days after Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado handed her 2025 Nobel Peace Prize medal to US President Donald Trump, the Nobel Foundation issued a formal clarification stating that Nobel Prizes cannot be transferred, even symbolically.

In a statement released on Sunday, the Foundation said, “A prize cannot, even symbolically, be passed on or further distributed,” stressing that one of its key responsibilities is to protect the dignity and integrity of the Nobel Prizes and their administration. It reaffirmed that the awards follow Alfred Nobel’s will, which specifies that prizes are to be given only to individuals or organisations that have made the greatest contribution to humanity, and that only authorised bodies can decide recipients.

The clarification followed Machado’s December 15 meeting with Trump at the White House, where she presented him with her medal as a gesture of appreciation for what she described as his commitment to Venezuela’s freedom. Trump later confirmed on Truth Social that he had accepted the medal, calling it an honour and praising Machado.

Her visit came amid reports that Trump had backed Delcy Rodríguez as interim president following the alleged capture of Nicolás Maduro by US forces earlier this month.

Earlier, the Nobel Committee had already stated that prizes cannot be revoked, shared or transferred. The Norwegian Nobel Institute also reiterated that a Nobel Prize remains permanently linked to the original laureate.