Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, who secretly left her homeland for a trip to Norway, was several hours late for the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony, reports DW.
Nobel Peace Prize laureate for 2025, leader of the Venezuelan opposition Maria Corina Machado arrived in Oslo on the night of Thursday, December 11. This was reported by the chairman of the Nobel Committee, Jørgen Watne Fridnes. Thus, she was several hours late for the official award ceremony that took place the day before.
Machado appeared on the balcony of the Grand Hotel in Oslo and greeted the public. Placing her hand on her heart, she sang, and then descended to the street to meet the gathered crowd. Later, she posted a photo from this meeting on her microblog X with the words: "The hug that all of Venezuela needs. Thank you!!"
El abrazo que necesita toda Venezuela.
— María Corina Machado (@MariaCorinaYA) December 11, 2025
Gracias!! pic.twitter.com/ozQgFQzGjq
Speech of Machado's Daughter at the Nobel Peace Prize Ceremony
The 58-year-old politician had been hiding in Venezuela from the authorities for over a year and was forced to secretly leave the country for her trip to Norway, violating a ten-year exit ban imposed on her. The Nobel Peace Prize was instead received in Oslo by her daughter - Ana Corina Sosa Machado.
In her speech, delivered on behalf of her mother, she condemned the "state terrorism" of the current Venezuelan government. About 2,500 people in the country have been "kidnapped, disappeared, tortured" under the rule of President Nicolás Maduro, emphasized Machado Jr. during her speech.
Nobel Peace Prize for Maria Corina Machado
Maria Corina Machado was awarded for her "tireless work" in defense of the democratic rights of the Venezuelan people. The Nobel Committee noted her contribution to the struggle for a fair and peaceful transition from dictatorship to democracy.
Maria Corina Machado is one of the iconic figures in the Venezuelan protests against Nicolás Maduro's government. In 2024, she actively opposed the officially declared victory of Maduro in the elections. Together with opposition candidate Edmundo González Urrutia, who replaced Machado on the ballot after she was banned from participating in the elections, the opposition leader was forced to go into hiding.
The last time Machado appeared in public was nearly a year ago: it happened on January 9 during protests against Maduro's inauguration, who was elected president of Venezuela for the third time. The opposition figure had been living underground since August 2024.
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