Maria Corina Machado Presents Nobel Peace Prize Medal to Donald Trump

Latin America Correspondent Jon Bonfiglio speaks to Rosie Wright for Early Breakfast on Times Radio. 

Transcript

Rosie Wright: 0:00

Opposition leader Maria Corina Machado presented the US President Donald Trump in a gold-plated frame with her Nobel Peace Prize medal at an in-person meeting at the White House. She explained to reporters after why.

Maria Corina Machado: 0:34

As a recognition for his unique commitment with our freedom.

Rosie Wright: 0:56

Well, let's find out more now from Jon Bonfiglio, the Latin America correspondent. Jon, hello.

Jon Bonfiglio: 1:01

Hey, good morning.

Rosie Wright: 1:01

I mean, it was quite a shocking moment yesterday that caused quite a lot of surprise for her to turn up and sort of huge smile with a very flattering note, give her medal, present her medal to the US President.

Jon Bonfiglio: 1:15

I mean, she knows what she's about, and it's all about leverage for her, leverage within a potential transition of power in Venezuela, of course, uh brokered by the United States. As regards the medal itself, well, not the medal, the prize itself, of course, the Nobel uh Peace Prize Committee have made very clear that it's permanent and it's non-transferable. But of course, that didn't stop um Maria Corina Machado uh mounting the medal and making a great display, in private mind. It wasn't a public show of handing it to Donald Trump for his efforts.

Rosie Wright: 1:48

Yeah. Can you remind us who she is and her influence?

Jon Bonfiglio: 1:52

Yeah, of course. So she is um she's a long-standing figure from the Venezuelan opposition who's kind of widely regarded as being the sort of emotional, intellectual center point of the anti-Maduro anti-Chavista movement. She didn't run in last in last year's 2024 summer election. She wasn't allowed to, she was barred, but nonetheless, she was still sort of the the figurehead behind the movement. She is of the neoliberal right. So beyond the sort of the autocracy and the possibilities of a democratic transition in Venezuela, she's also politically aligned with uh with Donald Trump in that regard. Uh Trump said that she didn't have the support in Venezuela to lead the government, but she is hugely popular and um both inside and outside Venezuela, as we saw yesterday in the chaotic scenes in in Washington, which n which without even mentioning the elections in 2024, which um you know there's there's nearly a person on the planet outside of the Maduro regime or what's left of the Maduro regime that sort of thinks that that uh her movement did not win that election, hands down.

Rosie Wright: 2:50

Yeah, you say it was a private meeting. Do we know anything of what the dynamics were like?

Jon Bonfiglio: 2:56

Well, it's difficult to tell, of course. We've got previous meetings. I mean, they've this is the first time they've actually met in person, but previous calls that they've had, previous conversations have seemed very, very warm. Um, but I think there's there's some there's some indicators uh from what took place yesterday. The first one is that um the fact that uh Donald Trump had a just that morning, a few hours before he met Maria Corina, he had a very courteous, respectful phone call with Nicholas Maduro's successor, Delcy Rodriguez, um, as well as the fact that, of course, a meeting was held in private and that there was, and this is a key point thing, I think I think, there was no joint press conference or official statement from Trump for hours afterwards. And it tells you, I think, given his instincts as a as a showman, that Nobel Peace Prize medal or not, he was once again very deliberately sidelining uh Maria Corina Machado. Make no mistake, yesterday's meeting between the two was a big defeat for the Venezuelan opposition.

Rosie Wright: 3:50

Yeah. I mean, let's talk about the running of Venezuela. So Trump is dealing with Maduro's former vice president, as we've just been discussing. What is the state of play currently right now in terms of the plan for Venezuela?

Jon Bonfiglio: 4:05

Well, nobody really knows. Uh, I mean, he says he's uh he Donald Trump says he and his administration are very happy to be uh to be working with her, with Delcy Rodriguez. Uh of course, given that she's sort of uh compliant or we we understand compliant with his uh wishes. He said after the call yesterday that she was a terrific person and that together they were making tremendous progress to help Venezuela stabilize and recover. But beyond the oil, there is very little in the way of brass tax that we've actually learned as to what is taking place on the ground that is different in Venezuela, if anything.

Rosie Wright: 4:39

Yeah, and what do the Venezuelans want? I mean, there's so much uncertainty.

Jon Bonfiglio: 4:44

Well, I mean, I guess what what do we all want? Peace, stability, freedom, autonomy, very specifically in Venezuela, an economy not in in meltdown. But of course, the the the big question, I mean, when this first happened, of course, Venezuelans were celebrating absolutely everywhere because they assumed that it would mean that it would be a transition towards a sort of politically free, stable, new Venezuela. But of course, none of that has taken place, nor is there any indication of that being in the plan for the future. So, of course, the big question is do recent events get them, get Venezuelans any closer to peace, stability, um, and it's some kind of economic wherewithal to move forward on, to move on with their lives.

Rosie Wright: 5:25

Yeah. John, thank you for the context. Much appreciated. Jon Bonfiglio, the Latin America Correspondent, on that meeting yesterday between Machado and Trump, where she gave him that that medal that I say, gold gilded, with a very complimentary sort of statement about Donald Trump framed in it to President Donald J. Trump, in gratitude for your extraordinary leadership in promoting peace through strength, advancing diplomacy, defending liberty and prosperity. Will he help do all of those things for Venezuela?