Nobel Peace Prize Machado misses Oslo ceremony over security threats

(MENAFN) Nobel Peace Prize recipient Maria Corina Machado will be unable to attend the Oslo award ceremony due to severe security threats and travel restrictions imposed by Venezuela’s government, the Nobel Institute confirmed Wednesday.

Kristian Berg Harpviken, director of the institute, told Norwegian broadcaster that Machado “is not in Norway now” and will not be present when the ceremony begins at Oslo City Hall. Her daughter, Ana Corina Sosa, will accept the prize on her behalf.

Machado, a leading opposition figure and prominent challenger to President Nicolas Maduro, has been living in hiding since last autumn. Harpviken explained that the Maduro administration has prohibited her from leaving Venezuela and continues to pose a direct threat to her life.

“She simply lives with a death threat from the regime. That threat also applies when she is outside the country,” he said, noting that arranging safe travel to Norway proved “more demanding than expected.” Her exact location remains known to only a few due to the high risk.

The Nobel Committee awarded Machado for her “tireless work to secure democratic rights for the people of Venezuela” and her efforts to achieve a peaceful transition away from authoritarian rule. Independent observers report that her coalition won last year’s presidential election, though the Maduro government refused to acknowledge the results.

Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide called her absence “a shame” but stressed the importance of the recognition.

“It is always best when the Peace Prize winner is present,” he said. “Machado’s ability to unite large parts of the opposition is what this prize highlights.”

Four Latin American presidents, including Argentina’s Javier Milei and Paraguay’s Santiago Pena, are attending the ceremony in Oslo to show support. Harpviken said it remains unclear whether Machado will be able to travel to Norway at a later date.

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