Nobel Institute: The Peace Prize Cannot Be Transferred to Donald Trump 0 10

The organization responsible for awarding the Nobel Peace Prize has refuted claims that Venezuelan opposition leader and laureate Maria Corina Machado can transfer her award to U.S. President Donald Trump. The corresponding statement was posted on the website of the Norwegian Nobel Institute on Friday, January 9.

"The Norwegian Nobel Committee and the Norwegian Nobel Institute receive numerous inquiries asking to comment on the issue of the permanence of the status of Nobel Peace Prize laureates. The facts are clear and well known," they stated. "Once the Nobel Prize is awarded, it cannot be revoked, divided, or transferred to others. The decision is final and remains in effect forever," the institute emphasized.

"We Definitely Want to Give It to Trump"

Earlier, Machado stated that she would like to give the prize to Trump or share it with the U.S. president, who oversaw the operation to capture former Venezuelan ruler Nicolas Maduro.

"I would certainly like to personally tell him that we, the Venezuelan people, because this is an award for the Venezuelan people, definitely want to give it to him and share it with him," Machado said on January 5 to Fox News host Sean Hannity. "What he (Trump) did is historic. It is a huge step towards democratic transformations," she added.

Machado dedicated the prize to Trump as well as to the people of Venezuela shortly after the award was announced.

Trump Supports Delcy Rodriguez

The statement on January 5 came after Trump publicly rejected the idea of appointing Machado as the interim leader of Venezuela. According to The Washington Post (WP), this happened because Machado did not yield the Nobel Peace Prize to Trump. "If she had refused and said, 'I cannot accept it because it belongs to Donald Trump,' she would be the president of Venezuela today," a WP source said.

Meanwhile, the head of the White House supports the acting president of Venezuela, Delcy Rodriguez, who served as vice president under Maduro, the AP agency clarified.

U.S. Operation in Venezuela and Capture of Maduro

Nicolas Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores were captured by a unit of the American special forces "Delta" as part of the military operation "Absolute Resolve" on January 3. They were taken out of Venezuela first to a U.S. Navy base in Guantanamo and later to New York, where the first court hearing involving the ousted ruler took place on January 5.

U.S. authorities have formally charged Maduro with "narcoterrorism," possession of weapons, and trafficking Venezuelan diplomatic passports. In particular, the politician is accused of leading the criminal group Cartel de los Soles, previously designated as a terrorist organization by the U.S., as well as conspiring with Colombian groups involved in the production and trafficking of cocaine along with his wife, son, and associates. Maduro denies these charges, calling them a cover to gain access to his country's oil reserves.