Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado gave her Nobel Peace Prize medal to President Donald Trump during a White House meeting on Thursday, seeking to influence U.S. policy as Washington reshapes Venezuela’s political future.

A White House official confirmed Trump plans to keep the medal.

In a social media post Thursday evening, Trump wrote: “Maria presented me with her Nobel Peace Prize for the work I have done. Such a wonderful gesture of mutual respect. Thank you, Maria!”

Machado called the meeting “excellent,” but offered few details.

She said the gift recognized Trump’s commitment to the freedom of the Venezuelan people.

The White House later posted a photo showing Trump and Machado, with the president holding a large, gold-colored framed display of the medal.

The inscription read, “To President Donald J. Trump In Gratitude for Your Extraordinary Leadership in Promoting Peace through Strength,” calling it a “Personal Symbol of Gratitude on behalf of the Venezuelan People.”

The gesture came after Trump rejected the idea of installing Machado as Venezuela’s leader following the capture of President Nicolas Maduro.

Trump had openly campaigned for the Nobel Peace Prize and complained publicly after Machado won the award last month.

Although Machado gave Trump the physical medal, the honor remains hers. The Norwegian Nobel Institute has said the prize cannot be transferred, shared, or revoked.

Asked on Wednesday if he wanted the medal, Trump told Reuters: “No, I didn’t say that. She won the Nobel Peace Prize.”

The lunch meeting, which lasted slightly more than an hour, marked their first in-person encounter.

Machado later met with more than a dozen Republican and Democratic senators on Capitol Hill, where she has found broader support.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump had looked forward to meeting Machado but maintained a “realistic” view that she lacks sufficient support to govern Venezuela in the near term.

Machado fled Venezuela in December by boat and has been seeking to ensure a role in shaping the country’s future leadership.

After U.S. forces captured Maduro earlier this month, opposition figures and members of Venezuela’s diaspora expressed hope for democratic reforms.

Hopes of a move to democracy

Sen. Chris Murphy, a Democrat from Connecticut who met Machado, said she warned senators repression had not eased under the interim government.

Interim President Delcy Rodriguez, Murphy said, was becoming more entrenched with Trump’s backing.

“I hope elections happen, but I’m skeptical,” Murphy said.

Trump has emphasized securing U.S. access to Venezuelan oil and rebuilding the country’s economy.

He has repeatedly praised Rodriguez, telling Reuters this week, “She’s been very good to deal with.”

Machado was barred from running in Venezuela’s 2024 election by a court stacked with Maduro allies.

Independent observers say opposition candidate Edmundo Gonzalez, backed by Machado, won by a wide margin, though Maduro claimed victory.

While the government has released dozens of political prisoners, rights groups say the scope of the releases has been overstated.

In an address to lawmakers, Rodriguez called for diplomacy with the United States and said she would travel to Washington if needed “on my feet, not dragged there.”

She also announced plans to propose reforms aimed at expanding foreign access to Venezuela’s oil sector.