The FW de Klerk Foundation has slammed Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado’s decision to give her Nobel Peace Prize medal to US President Donald Trump, during her visit to the White House.

The foundation of former President FW De Klerk, who shared the 1993 prize with former President Nelson Mandela, said on Wednesday that the Nobel Peace Prize should not be “abused as a currency to buy political support” and added that the medal was not only a recognition for past achievements.

Instead, the award should act as an encouragement for recipients to continue their efforts, it said, adding that the prize came with the responsibility to “vigorously safeguard freedom, democracy and the rule of law”, for lasting peace.

FW de Klerk Foundation’s Christina Teichmann said Machado’s “symbolic gesture” came at a time when the Trump administration was gearing up for further military intervention in other countries, following its recent action in Venezuela, most notably Greenland.

Teichmann said the renaming of the US Department of Defence to the Department of War indicated that the current US government was more inclined than previous administrations to use military force for “narrow geopolitical goals and interests”.

“Taking the available modern arsenal of weapons that could potentially be used in a WW3 scenario into account, this administration’s inclination for the use of military force could lead to unimaginable human suffering and destruction,” she added.

She highlighted that while the Nobel Committee had already issued a statement, in which it stated that the Prize was not transferable, the foundation said the gesture by Machado was “problematic as it downgrades the prestigious Prize to a currency which is used to buy political influence and support”. 

She said previously, Trump declined to endorse Machado as Venezuela's leader despite her movement claiming victory in the widely contested 2024 elections.

“…whether President Trump has changed his mind after receiving the gold medal from Machado is left to be seen,” she added.

The foundation urged Trump and global political leaders to stick to diplomatic instruments of peaceful conflict resolution, warning that military interventions and wars could not be contained in a globalised and interconnected world and should be avoided.

It further urged world leaders to respect and adhere to international laws and supranational institutions, such as the United Nations, “as the world simply cannot afford to regress to a stage where might makes rights”.