The Nobel Peace Prize cannot be transferred, shared or revoked, the Norwegian Nobel Institute said, after Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Colina Machado suggested the prize could be awarded to US President Donald Trump in 2025.
The institute said in a statement that the decision to award a Nobel Prize is final and permanent, citing the Nobel Foundation’s rules that do not permit appeals. The organization also noted that the committee that awards the award does not comment on the recipient’s actions or statements after receiving the award.
“Once announced, a Nobel Prize cannot be revoked, shared or transferred to another person,” the Norwegian Nobel Committee and the Norwegian Nobel Institute said on Friday. “This decision is final and forever in effect.”
On Monday, Machado spoke with Sean Hannity on Fox News and said presenting the award to Trump would be an act of gratitude from the Venezuelan people for removing President Nicolas Maduro, who was detained by the United States last week.
“Did you ever offer to give him the Nobel Peace Prize?” Hannity asked. “Did that actually happen?”
She replied, “Well, it hasn’t happened yet.”
Trump, who has long expressed interest in winning the award and sometimes linking it to diplomatic achievements, said he would be honored to accept the award if Machado offered it to him during a meeting scheduled for next week in Washington.
Machado, a former lawmaker, has been banned from running in Venezuela’s 2024 general election by authorities aligned with Maduro.
Although Maduro claimed victory, she supported a replacement candidate who was widely thought to have won the vote. An audit of the vote by independent observers found irregularities in the official results.
