Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado, recently awarded the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize for her pro-democracy efforts, will not be able to except the honor in person this week. Currently in hiding from political persecution by the Maduro regime, Machado’s daughter will accept the award on her behalf at wednesday’s ceremony in Oslo.The decision highlights the ongoing crisis in Venezuela, where the legitimacy of the current government remains widely disputed internationally[[1]].
Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado will not attend Wednesday’s Nobel Peace Prize ceremony in Oslo, the Norwegian Nobel Institute confirmed to the Associated Press. The decision comes as Machado remains in hiding within Venezuela, facing political persecution from the Maduro regime.
Machado’s daughter, Ana Corina Machado, will accept the award on her mother’s behalf and deliver the speech written by the laureate, according to Kristian Berg Harpviken, director of the Nobel Institute, who spoke to Norwegian radio NRK. “We simply don’t know exactly where she is,” Harpviken said, explaining that Machado’s movements are closely guarded due to the repressive nature of President Nicolás Maduro’s government.
The award, recognizing Machado’s fight for democracy, was announced on October 10. Since the disputed July 2024 presidential election in Venezuela – which Maduro claimed victory in – Machado has been living underground. This development underscores the precarious state of democratic institutions in Venezuela and the risks faced by those challenging the current government.
Her last public appearance was January 9 in Caracas, during a protest against Maduro’s controversial third term inauguration.
Designated a “Fugitive”
Last month, Venezuelan Attorney General Tarek William Saab stated that Machado would be considered a “fugitive” if she left the country to accept the Nobel Prize. She is currently facing accusations from Venezuelan authorities of “acts of conspiracy, incitement to hatred, and terrorism.”
The United States and parts of the international community do not recognize the results of the 2024 presidential election, which the opposition claims was marred by fraud and resulted in a victory for their candidate, Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia, who is now in exile.
While lauded by many for her pro-democracy efforts, Machado has also drawn criticism for her perceived alignment with former U.S. President Donald Trump, to whom she dedicated her Nobel Prize.
Protests are planned outside the Nobel Institute on Tuesday, with demonstrators carrying signs reading “No Peace Prize for Warmongers.”
The prize ceremony coincides with a significant U.S. military deployment in the Caribbean and reported lethal strikes against vessels allegedly involved in drug trafficking. Machado has voiced support for these operations, while Nicolás Maduro claims they are a pretext for an attempt to overthrow his government and seize Venezuela’s oil reserves.
