WASHINGTON — The Norwegian Nobel Institute has rejected suggestions by Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado that she could give or share her recently awarded Nobel Peace Prize with U.S. President Donald Trump, saying the prize cannot be transferred, shared or revoked once it has been announced.

The institute’s statement Friday reaffirmed that once the Nobel Peace Prize is awarded, the decision is final under the prize’s statutes and cannot be altered in any way.

Machado, who won the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize for her work promoting democratic rights and a peaceful transition in Venezuela, previously said she would like to “give” or “share” the honour with Trump in recognition of what she described as his role in the U.S. operation that led to the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife.

Speaking on a U.S. talk show, Machado said the Venezuelan people saw Trump’s actions as historic and a step toward democratic transition and indicated her desire to personally present the award to him.

Trump has publicly said he would be honoured to receive the prize from her, though no such transfer could legally take place.

Machado had dedicated her Nobel Peace Prize both to the people of Venezuela and to Trump shortly after its announcement in Oslo in October 2025. — Agencies