Machado’s Daughter Accepts Nobel Peace Prize Amid Threats, Hiding

Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado was absent from the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony in Oslo on Wednesday, with her daughter accepting the award on her behalf amid ongoing death threats that have forced her into hiding.

The Nobel Institute confirmed at the last minute that Machado was “safe” but unable to reach Oslo in time for the ceremony, following confusion and conflicting reports over her attendance. A scheduled press conference ahead of the event was also abruptly cancelled without explanation.

Instead, Ana Corina Sosa Machado collected the gold medal and diploma, receiving a standing ovation from the audience. Machado was named the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize winner in October but has remained largely in hiding throughout the year after receiving threats linked to Venezuela’s political crisis.

Kristian Berg Harpviken, director of the Nobel Institute, said the opposition leader’s journey posed serious security risks. “She lives under a death threat from the regime,” he told Norwegian broadcaster NRK, adding that the danger extended beyond Venezuela’s borders.

In her absence, Machado’s daughter read the Nobel lecture written by her mother, calling on Venezuelans to confront the truth and persevere in the struggle for freedom. “Venezuela will breathe again,” the speech said, promising a future where political prisoners are released and families reunited.

The address accused the Venezuelan government of using “state terrorism” to suppress the will of the people.

Machado, a former engineer and longtime critic of President Nicolas Maduro, has been in hiding since a disputed election that returned the socialist leader to power. She was later banned from holding public office, while Venezuela’s attorney general warned she would be deemed a fugitive if she travelled abroad to collect the prize.

The award comes amid heightened tensions between Caracas and Washington, with the United States accusing the Maduro government of drug trafficking allegations it denies, and Venezuela accusing the US of attempting to force regime change.

In announcing the prize, the Nobel committee praised Machado as a leader who has kept “the flame of democracy burning amid a growing darkness,” despite threats to her life and personal freedom.