Australia’s Foreign Minister Penny Wong has labelled Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado’s decision to hand her Nobel Peace Prize medal to United States President Donald Trump as very generous after being pressed on whether Washington was shaping a world order where power decides outcomes.
Wong’s comments came on Friday after questions about the US capture of deposed Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro during a military operation earlier this month.
Wong also said the world was moving through a time of great change and argued Australia should approach that uncertainty with confidence as the federal government works to support peace and stability in the region.
Machado, a Venezuelan opposition figure and Nobel laureate, presented the medal during her first face to face meeting with Trump at the White House on Thursday. A White House official confirmed Trump intends to keep the medal.
Trump publicly welcomed the gift online, describing it as a wonderful gesture and thanking Machado.
The symbolism however, has collided with the rules and traditions surrounding the Nobel.
The Norwegian Nobel Institute has said the prize cannot be transferred, shared or revoked meaning Machado remains the Nobel laureate even if the physical medal changes hands.
The Nobel Peace Center has made the same distinction, saying ownership of a medal can change but the title cannot.
Norwegian politicians have criticised the handover calling it absurd and warning it risks politicising the world’s most prominent peace award as Trump celebrates an honour he does not formally hold.
Behind the optics is a fast moving contest for influence over Venezuela’s next chapter.
Machado is trying to shape Trump’s approach as he weighs the country’s political future after the US operation that captured Maduro.
Trump has also spoken positively about Venezuela’s interim President Delcy Rodríguez, and has indicated his priority is securing US access to Venezuelan oil and rebuilding the economy.
The White House has signalled it does not see Machado as having the support needed to lead Venezuela in the short term.
After the White House meeting, Machado met with members of both major parties on Capitol Hill where some lawmakers are sceptical that repression has eased since Maduro’s removal.
She chose to acknowledge Machado’s gesture, then pivot to Australia’s broader message that the government is focused on navigating global change and keeping the region steady.
