Venezuela’s Machado Defies Travel Ban, Arrives in Oslo Hours After Nobel Peace Ceremony

Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado did not attend the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony in Oslo, Norway, on Dec. 10, the head of the Norwegian Nobel Institute said, but confirmed that she had arrived in Oslo hours after the ceremony amid uncertainty about her whereabouts due to death threats from the Maduro regime.

Kristian Berg Harpviken, director of the Nobel Institute, told Norwegian broadcaster NRK on Dec. 10 that Machado “will not be in time to attend” the day’s ceremony or other events.

He said that he did not know whether she would appear in Norway at any point and that he had no indications that anything unexpected had happened.

Machado’s daughter, Ana Corina Sosa, accepted the prize on her behalf.

Sosa also delivered remarks from Machado, who said the prize held profound significance for both Venezuela and the world.

“It reminds the world that democracy is essential to peace,” Sosa conveyed for her mother, her voice cracking with emotion. “And more than anything, what we Venezuelans can offer the world is the lesson forged through this long and difficult journey: that to have a democracy, we must be willing to fight for freedom.”

Machado, a former presidential candidate for Venezuela’s opposition, was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize on Oct. 10 “for her tireless work promoting democratic rights for the people of Venezuela,” according to the Norwegian Nobel Committee.

Ahead of the 2024 Venezuelan presidential election, the socialist regime of President Nicolás Maduro allegedly targeted real or perceived political opponents.

Machado, 58, has been banned by the Maduro regime from leaving Venezuela since 2014. She has not appeared in public since January out of concern for her safety, but she defied the travel ban for the ceremony.

The committee described her as “a brave and committed champion of peace” who “keeps the flame of democracy burning amid a growing darkness” in an Oct. 10 statement.

Machado appeared in public for the first time in 11 months on the balcony of Oslo’s iconic Grand Hotel around 2:30 a.m. local time on Thursday, after fleeing Venezuela by boat. Her escape toward the Caribbean island of Curacao, in a region that has recently seen a substantial build-up by the U.S. Navy, had reportedly been delayed by bad weather.

Secrecy and Security Challenges

Machado was disqualified from running against Maduro in the 2024 election. She went into hiding and has not been seen in public since January.

Harpviken said on Dec. 10 there were “good reasons” that he didn’t know Machado’s location, according to NRK.

“I don’t know where she is now, and there are good reasons for that. This is an oppressive regime that is willing to use absolutely all means against the opposition,” he said.

Harpviken said that it is logistics that have prevented Machado from making it to Oslo. It has been even more demanding than expected to transport her to Norway safely, he said.

“She simply lives with a death threat from the regime,” Harpviken said.

He also said that the danger “extends beyond Venezuela’s borders, from the regime and the regime’s friends around the world.”

The Institute on Dec. 9 canceled a scheduled press conference with Machado ahead of the ceremony.

Trump’s Candidacy

Machado’s selection has triggered debate internationally, particularly after U.S. President Donald Trump received widespread support for his diplomatic record.

Many officials in the Trump administration, along with several foreign leaders, have pressed for the U.S. president to receive the Nobel Peace Prize for his second-term efforts to help end multiple armed conflicts.

While attending the U.N. General Assembly in September, Trump said he had ended “seven wars” since returning to office in January: between Cambodia and Thailand, Kosovo and Serbia, the Congo and Rwanda, Pakistan and India, Israel and Iran, Egypt and Ethiopia, and Armenia and Azerbaijan.

Some of Trump’s allies, including Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, pushed for a last-minute recognition after he helped broker a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas.

Trump told reporters on Oct. 10 that he had spoken with Machado by phone the day she learned of the award.

“The person who actually got the Nobel Prize called today, called me, and said, ‘I’m accepting this in honor of you, because you really deserved it,’” Trump said at the time in the Oval Office. “A very nice thing to do.”

The Nobel Foundation said 338 candidates were nominated this year, including 244 individuals and 94 organizations. The prize is awarded annually in Oslo.

Four Latin American presidents are present in Oslo to show support for Machado, including Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa Azin, Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino, Argentine President Javier Milei, and Paraguayan President Santiago Peña.

Reuters contributed to this article.