The Norwegian Nobel Institute confirmed on Tuesday that a Nobel Prize cannot be transferred to third parties, following statements from Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado, the 2025 Peace Prize laureate, who said she wanted to 'share' it with U.S. President Donald Trump. Machado had already dedicated the Nobel Prize to Trump when she received it. In an interview with the American channel 'Fox News,' she stated, 'We certainly want to give it to him and share it with him.' She also thanked the U.S. president for his 'valiant actions' that led to the Saturday arrest of then-Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, although she acknowledged she has not personally spoken to him since she was awarded the Nobel in October. According to The Washington Post on Monday, Machado's decision to accept the coveted Nobel from Trump may have cost her the support of the U.S. president, who, after Maduro's capture, has denied her backing to lead a transition in Venezuela. Despite Machado dedicating the prestigious award to Trump, the fact that she did not reject the recognition was an 'unforgivable sin' that the president has not forgotten, two sources close to the White House told the Post. 'A Nobel Prize cannot be revoked or transferred to others. Once the laureate or laureates have been announced, the decision is forever,' said Erik Aasheim, a spokesman for the Nobel Institute, in an interview with EFE. 'As for the prize money, the laureate or laureates are free to dispose of it as they see fit,' clarified a representative of the Norwegian Nobel Institute, which serves as the secretariat for the Norwegian Nobel Committee.
