Venezuela’s Machado Absent from Nobel Ceremony in Oslo

María Corina Machado, the Venezuelan opposition leader, will not attend the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony scheduled for March 2024 at Oslo City Hall. The event, which is expected to be attended by prominent figures including King Harald and Queen Sonja of Norway, as well as Latin American leaders such as Javier Milei, President of Argentina, and Daniel Noboa, President of Ecuador, will proceed without her presence.

According to Kristian Berg Harpviken, director of the Nobel Institute, Machado “is unfortunately not in Norway and will not stand on stage at Oslo City Hall at 1 p.m. when the ceremony starts.” When asked about her location, Harpviken stated, “I don’t know.” In her absence, the award will be presented to her daughter, Ana Corina Sosa Machado, who will accept the prize and deliver the Nobel lecture on her behalf.

Machado, 58, has been a vocal critic of the Venezuelan government, which has imposed a travel ban on her for over a decade. Her decision to remain in hiding for more than a year reflects the intense political climate in Venezuela. When she was awarded the Nobel Prize in October, she dedicated part of her accolade to former U.S. President Donald Trump, who has claimed that he deserves the honor as well.

The current Venezuelan leader, Nicolás Maduro, has accused Trump of attempting to destabilize his administration to gain access to the country’s rich oil reserves. Maduro maintains that both Venezuelan citizens and armed forces will resist any foreign intervention. The Nobel Institute has not yet responded to requests for additional comments regarding Machado’s absence.

Machado has aligned herself with hardline elements within U.S. politics who argue that Maduro has ties to criminal organizations that threaten U.S. national security. This stance has been controversial, particularly as reports from the U.S. intelligence community have raised doubts about these claims. Recently, the Trump administration has executed more than twenty military strikes against suspected drug-trafficking vessels in the Caribbean and off the Pacific coast of Latin America. Human rights organizations, various Democratic leaders, and several Latin American nations have criticized these actions as unlawful extrajudicial killings.

In light of the escalating tensions, Venezuelan armed forces are reportedly preparing for a guerrilla-style response in the event of a U.S. air or ground assault, according to sources familiar with the military’s planning efforts.

Despite the challenges she faces, Machado remains a prominent figure in the opposition movement. In 2024, she was prevented from participating in the presidential election, despite winning the opposition’s primary by a significant margin. Following the disputed election results, which saw Maduro declared the victor by the electoral authority and top court, Machado went into hiding in August 2024. International observers and opposition members contest the official outcome, citing evidence from ballot box-level tallies that suggest a different result.

Christopher Sabatini, a senior fellow for Latin America at Chatham House, commented on the significance of the Nobel Prize for Machado. He stated that it sends “a strong signal of international validation… (of) the democratic results that had been forgotten.” He emphasized that the award has elevated Machado into a key figure whom the international community can rally around, noting, “Oftentimes democratic movements need a face. They need a story.”

As the Nobel ceremony proceeds in her absence, Machado’s journey reflects the ongoing struggles faced by political dissidents in Venezuela and highlights the international community’s engagement with the country’s complex political landscape.