Venezuelan Opposition Leader Machado Receives Nobel Peace Prize Amidst Ongoing Political Persecution
Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo on Wednesday, but was unable to attend the ceremony, citing ongoing safety concerns. Her daughter, Ana Corina Sosa Machado, accepted the prestigious award on her behalf, delivering a powerful message of hope adn resilience on behalf of the Venezuelan people.
Machado, who has been living in hiding, last appeared in public 11 months ago. According to the Nobel Institute director, Kristian Berg Harpviken, Machado communicated via phone call with institute director Jørgen Watne Frydnes, confirming her intention to travel to Oslo but acknowledging she would miss the award ceremony. A recording of the call was posted on the Nobel Institute’s YouTube channel.
“On behalf of the venezuelan people, once again, I want to thank the Norwegian Nobel Commitee for this immense recognition to the fight of our people for democracy and freedom,” Machado said in the call. “We feel very emotional and very honored, and that’s why I am very sad and very sorry to tell you that I won’t be able to arrive in time for the ceremony… But I will be in Oslo and I’m on my way to Oslo right now.”
Machado expressed her eagerness to reunite with her family, whom she has not seen for two years, and to connect with supporters. “As soon as I arrive, I will be able to embrace all my family and my children that I’ve have not seen for two years, and so many Venezuelans, Norwegians, that I know that share our struggle and our fight,” she stated.
Just days prior, Harpviken had indicated Machado confirmed her attendance, though he cautioned that security considerations limited details about her travel plans. The ceremony itself was attended by prominent Latin American leaders, including Argentine President Javier Milei, Ecuador’s president Daniel Noboa, Panama’s President José Raúl Mulino, and Paraguayan President Santiago Peña, demonstrating regional solidarity with Machado’s cause.
The 58-year-old Machado was awarded the prize for her unwavering commitment to achieving a democratic transition in Venezuela. The Nobel Committee described her as a champion “who keeps the flame of democracy burning amid a growing darkness.” she won the opposition primary election last year, intending to challenge President Nicolás Maduro in the July 28, 2024, presidential election, but was subsequently barred from running. Retired diplomat Edmundo González replaced her on the ballot.
The election was marred by widespread repression, including the disqualification of candidates, arbitrary arrests, and human rights violations. Following Maduro’s disputed victory, González sought political asylum in Spain after a Venezuelan court issued an arrest warrant. International observers, including U.N. human rights officials and autonomous rights groups, have voiced serious concerns about the deteriorating human rights situation in Venezuela and called for accountability for the crackdown on dissent.
This year’s award echoes a past pattern, as five previous Nobel Peace Prize laureates were detained or imprisoned when they received the honor: Iranian activist Narges Mohammadi (2023), Belarusian human rights advocate Ales Bialiatski (2022), Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo (2010), Aung San Suu kyi of Myanmar (1991), and Carl von Ossietzky of Germany (1935). Harpviken noted the continuity, stating, “There is a long tradition that when a peace Prize laureate cannot be present, close family members represent them. And the same will happen with Maria Corina Machado today.The daughter will deliver the statement her mother has written.”
Accepting the prize on her mother’s behalf, Ana Corina Sosa Machado delivered a stirring message.”Freedom is not something we wait for-it is something we become,” she told the assembled guests. “Loving a country means taking duty for its future.” Her words served as a powerful testament to her mother’s enduring fight and a beacon of hope for a democratic future in venezuela.
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