The Norwegian Nobel Institute says its peace prize cannot be transferred, shared, or revoked, ‍following Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado’s suggestion she might hand hers to US President Donald Trump.

The institute said on Sunday (local time) the ⁠decision to award a Nobel prize was final and permanent, citing the statutes of the Nobel Foundation, which do not allow appeals.

It also noted that committees awarding the prizes did not comment on the actions or statements of ‌laureates after ​receiving awards.

“Once a Nobel prize is announced, it cannot be revoked, shared ‍or transferred to others,” the Norwegian Nobel Committee and the Norwegian Nobel Institute said.

“The decision is final and stands for all time.”

Earlier in the week Machado told Fox News presenter Sean Hannity that giving the prize to Trump ​would be an act of gratitude from ‌the Venezuelan people for the removal of Nicolas Maduro, the nation’s president, who was captured last week ​by the United States.

“Did you at any point offer to give him ‍the Nobel peace prize?” Hannity asked. “Did that actually happen?”

She responded, “Well, it hasn’t happened yet.”

Trump, who has long expressed interest in winning the ​prize and ​has at times linked it ​to diplomatic achievements, said he would be ​honoured to accept the prize if Machado offered it to him.

“I’ve heard that she wants to do that, that would be a great honour,” he told Hannity on Friday.

He said Machado was expected to visit Washington next week and meet him.

“I look forward to saying hello to her. That would be a great honour,” Trump said.

Machado, a former National Assembly member, was barred from running in Venezuela’s 2024 general election by authorities aligned with Maduro.

She backed a stand-in candidate who was widely considered to have won the vote, although Maduro claimed victory. Ballot audits by ‍independent observers showed irregularities in the official results.

-with AAP