The Nobel Foundation said that its Peace Prize was not transferrable after a Venezuelan activist said she offered her prize to President Donald Trump.
The president acknowledged the offer in a post on Thursday and said that he had accepted the award from María Corina Machado after meeting with her at the White House.
‘A laureate is free to keep, give away, sell, or donate these items.’
“It was my Great Honor to meet María Corina Machado, of Venezuela, today,” he wrote on Truth Social.
“She is a wonderful woman who has been through so much,” he added. “María presented me with her Nobel Peace Prize for the work I have done. Such a wonderful gesture of mutual respect.”
The Nobel Foundation released a rare statement Monday saying the prize cannot be passed on to someone else.
“A Nobel Peace Prize laureate receives two central symbols of the prize: a gold medal and a diploma. In addition, the prize money is awarded separately. Regardless of what may happen to the medal, the diploma, or the prize money, it is and remains the original laureate who is recorded in history as the recipient of the prize. Even if the medal or diploma later comes into someone else’s possession, this does not alter who was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize,” the committee said.
“A laureate cannot share the prize with others, nor transfer it once it has been announced,” they added. “A Nobel Peace Prize can also never be revoked. The decision is final and applies for all time.”
However, the committee also went on to say there was no restriction on a recipient giving away the award.
“The Committee does not comment on laureates’ subsequent statements, decisions, or actions. Any ongoing assessments or choices made by laureates must be understood as their own responsibility,” the committee said. “There are no restrictions in the statutes of the Nobel Foundation on what a laureate may do with the medal, the diploma, or the prize money. This means that a laureate is free to keep, give away, sell, or donate these items.”
RELATED: Venezuelan freedom fighter wins Nobel Peace Prize — and immediately dedicates it to Trump for his support
Machado had presented the award to president for his efforts in helping the people of Venezuela resist the totalitarian Maduro regime.
“It was a very emotional moment. I decided to present the Nobel Peace Prize medal on behalf of the people of Venezuela,” she told Fox News later.
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