María Corina Machado Defies Travel Ban, Appears Before Supporters in Oslo After Nobel Peace Prize Win
Despite being prohibited from leaving Venezuela since 2014, opposition leader María Corina Machado made a dramatic, clandestine journey to Oslo, Norway, appearing before cheering supporters early Thursday, December 12, 2025, hours after being awarded the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize for her fight against what the Norwegian Nobel Committee termed a “dictatorship” in Venezuela.
Machado, 58, arrived late to the ceremony, having initially been unable to attend due to the challenges of escaping her home country. Her daughter, Ana Corina Sosa, accepted the prestigious award on her behalf Wednesday. Machado finally emerged to greet her followers after 02:00 (01:00 GMT), receiving a standing ovation and a rousing rendition of the Venezuelan national anthem.
The initial announcement from Jørgen Watne Frydnes, president of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, indicated Machado would only be meeting with family at the Grand Hotel in Oslo, and that a public greeting was not planned. “María Corina Machado is already in Oslo and on her way to get here,” Frydnes told the media, adding, “She is going to meet directly with her family, there will be no meeting today.” However, Magali Meda, Machado’s former campaign manager, later clarified that the opposition leader intended to address her supporters, stating Machado was “on her way from the airport” and would appear on the hotel balcony “because [her followers] he wants to greet them.”
Machado ultimately did appear on the balcony of the Grand Hotel, visibly tired but smiling, to the delight of approximately one hundred followers. She then descended to the street, where she was greeted like a “rock star,” according to reports, with supporters shouting “Freedom!” and “Brave!” and pleading, “Mary, help us return!” The opposition leader refrained from answering questions, instead mingling with exiled Venezuelan political figures including Leopoldo López, Lilian Tintori, and Antonio Ledezma. She returned to the hotel shortly before 03:00 (02:00 GMT) accompanied by her mother, Corina Parisca, and surrounded by flags, rosaries, and religious icons gifted by her admirers.
The journey to Oslo was complex and secretive. According to a source familiar with the matter, Machado left Venezuela by boat on Tuesday, traveling to the Caribbean island of Curacao before boarding a private plane to Norway. Her departure was reportedly managed by her security personnel. The White House has not yet commented on reports of Machado’s transit through Curacao, first reported by the Wall Street Journal.
Machado expressed regret to Frydnes in a phone conversation that she could not attend the Nobel ceremony on time, but assured him she was “on her way” to Oslo. “As soon as I arrive, I will be able to hug my entire family and my children, whom I have not seen in two years. And so many Venezuelans and Norwegians that I know and who share our struggle and our effort,” she said.
Looking ahead, Frydnes indicated that Machado’s program in Oslo on Friday will include a visit to the Norwegian Parliament and a meeting with Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, culminating in a press conference to make up for the one missed on Tuesday. The arrival of the Nobel laureate, who has been living clandestinely in Venezuela for over a year, was delayed by nearly three days due to the difficulties of leaving the country and the uncertainties surrounding her return.
The awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize to Machado underscores the international community’s growing concern over the political situation in Venezuela and its recognition of her courageous fight for democracy. .
