Nobel Committee Rules Peace Prize Is Non-Transferable After Machado’s Trump Suggestion

The Norwegian Nobel Committee has clarified that the Nobel Peace Prize cannot be transferred, shared or revoked once it has been awarded, following remarks by Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado suggesting she might give her 2025 prize to US President Donald Trump.

In a statement issued Friday, the Norwegian Nobel Institute emphasised that Nobel decisions are 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 institute said, stressing that the award’s status remains fixed “for all time.”

Machado, who was honoured with the 2025 Peace Prize for her work advocating democratic rights and a peaceful transition from authoritarian rule in Venezuela, made the suggestion during an interview on Fox News. She described the gesture as a sign of gratitude to Trump for a US-led military operation that captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in early January — an event she said marked a key step toward freedom for her country.

While Trump responded that it would be an “honour” to accept the prize if offered, the Nobel Institute’s statement made clear that no such transfer or handover is possible under the prize’s governing rules. The committee also noted it does not comment on actions or statements by laureates after an award has been made.

Machado, a long-time critic of Maduro’s government and a central figure in Venezuela’s opposition movement, received the Nobel Peace Prize in October 2025 for her persistent efforts to defend human rights and promote democratic reforms.

The clarification from the Nobel Committee comes amid heightened international attention on Venezuela’s political transition and growing debate over the role of foreign influence in the country’s future leadership.