Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado said she was prepared to hand Donald Trump the Nobel Peace Prize he has publicly claimed, describing the move as one she considers fundamentally important for the country’s future.
“I am ready to give him the prize and share it with him. This is a historic, major step toward a democratic transition in Venezuela,” Machado said on Fox News.
The appearance marked her first public interview since the abduction of Nicolas Maduro. During the conversation, she repeatedly offered favorable assessments of Trump’s actions.
On the eve of the interview, several Western outlets reported that Trump does not support Machado’s bid for the Venezuelan presidency because she had allegedly refused to yield the Nobel Peace Prize to him. Trump himself rejected those claims.
“She should not have won. But no, this had no impact whatsoever on my decision (on Venezuela—editorial note),” he said on NBC News.
Earlier on Saturday, Trump also said that Machado could not become president because she “lacks support and respect inside the country,” adding that she is “a very good woman.”