The Norwegian Nobel Institute has firmly dismissed any possibility of transferring a Nobel Peace Prize, following remarks by Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado that she could give her anticipated 2025 award to former US President Donald Trump.
In an official statement, the institute emphasized that Nobel Prizes are final and irreversible decisions. According to the statutes of the Nobel Foundation, once a prize is awarded, it cannot be appealed, revoked, shared, or transferred under any circumstances.
The institute also reiterated a long-standing policy: Nobel committees do not comment on the actions, statements, or intentions of laureates after a prize has been awarded.
“Once a Nobel Prize is announced, it cannot be revoked, shared or transferred to others,” the Norwegian Nobel Committee and the Norwegian Nobel Institute said on Friday. “The decision is final and stands for all time.”
The clarification came after Machado, during an interview with Fox News host Sean Hannity on Monday, suggested that offering the Nobel Peace Prize to Trump would be a symbolic gesture of gratitude from the Venezuelan people. She linked this sentiment to recent developments surrounding the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro by the United States.
When asked directly by Hannity whether she had offered Trump the Nobel Peace Prize, Machado responded, “Well, it hasn’t happened yet.”
Trump, who has repeatedly expressed interest in receiving the Nobel Peace Prize and has tied the idea to his diplomatic efforts in the past, said he would feel honored to accept such a gesture if Machado were to make the offer during a planned meeting in Washington next week.
Machado, a former member of Venezuela’s National Assembly, was barred by Maduro-aligned authorities from running in the country’s 2024 general election. She instead supported a substitute candidate who was widely believed to have won the vote, despite Maduro claiming victory. Independent ballot audits later revealed significant irregularities in the official election results.
