Machado Reaches Oslo Hours After Daughter Accepts Nobel Peace Prize on Her Behalf

In a dramatic and symbolic moment for Venezuela’s pro-democracy movement, opposition leader María Corina Machado arrived in Oslo just hours after her daughter accepted the nobel peace prize on her behalf. Machado, who has been living in hiding for months, defied a Venezuelan travel Ban dating back to 2014 to appear publicly for the first time in eleven months.

Machado had been expected to attend the ceremony in person to receive the prestigious award. However, as reported by Bloomberg, severe weather disrupted her travel plans, prompting her daughter, Ana Corina Sosa, to deliver the acceptance speech and receive the medal on her mother’s behalf.

During the ceremony in Oslo on Wednesday, Sosa read a speech written by her mother, highlighting Venezuela’s resilience and its unwavering commitment to freedom. She reminded the audience that the people of Venezuela had shown the world that “we must be willing to fight for freedom.”

The 58-year-old Machado received the 2024 Nobel Peace Prize for her decades-long struggle to bring democratic transition to Venezuela — a nation where critics say President Nicolás Maduro’s government has entrenched authoritarian rule and systematically dismantled political freedoms.

Jorgen Watne Frydnes, chair of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, told attendees that Machado had made strenuous efforts to reach Oslo despite facing “extreme danger.” The hall broke into applause when he confirmed that Machado was safe and would be present in Oslo, even if she could not reach the ceremony in time.

| HISTÓRICO — The moment Ana Corina Sosa, daughter of María Corina Machado, receives the Nobel Peace Prize on her mother’s behalf. An image that will remain forever in the history books of this continent. The power of freedom. pic.twitter.com/RhXQQ9NfPO — December 10, 2025, Agustín Antonetti (@agusantonetti)

Machado Defies Travel Ban and Arrives in Oslo

Just a few hours after the ceremony, Norwegian authorities confirmed Machado’s arrival in Oslo, despite Venezuela’s long-standing travel ban aimed at preventing her from leaving the country. Caracas had previously warned that she would be considered a fugitive if she attempted such a trip.

In an audio message released by the Nobel Committee, Machado said many people had “risked their lives” to make her journey possible. She emphasized that the recognition was not just for her, but for all Venezuelans. “This is a measure of what this award means to the Venezuelan people,” she said, expressing hope that every Venezuelan would share in the honor.

During her speech, Sosa reaffirmed her mother’s unwavering determination to restore democracy in Venezuela. “She wants to live in a free Venezuela, and she will never give up on that purpose,” Sosa declared. “That is why I know she will return to Venezuela very soon.”

In her pre-recorded message, Machado added that the entire nation deserved the prize. She expressed her longing to reunite with her family and supporters after two years of separation, saying she was eager to “embrace all my family, my children, and so many Venezuelans and Norwegians who share our struggle.”

Regional Leaders Show Support in Oslo

The Nobel ceremony saw an unprecedented show of solidarity, with prominent Latin American leaders attending in support of Machado’s movement. Among them were Argentine President Javier Milei, Ecuador’s Daniel Noboa, Panama’s José Raúl Mulino, and Paraguay’s Santiago Peña — a display of diplomatic unity rarely seen in the region.

Frydnes described Machado as “one of the most extraordinary examples of civilian courage in recent Latin American history,” characterizing Venezuela under Maduro as “a brutal authoritarian state.”

Machado had originally planned to run against Maduro in the 2024 presidential election after winning the opposition primary in 2023. However, authorities barred her from the ballot, forcing former diplomat Edmundo González to run in her place.

Human Rights organizations documented widespread persecution in the lead-up to the July 28, 2024 vote — including arbitrary arrests, disqualifications, and intimidation of opposition figures. Protests erupted across the country after Maduro was declared the winner by Venezuela’s government-controlled National Electoral Council, triggering international condemnation.