Venezuelan opposition figure María Corina Machado has confirmed she will personally travel to Oslo, Norway, to accept the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize, a move her own government has warned would brand her a fugitive. The head of the Nobel Institute, Kristian Berg Harpviken, disclosed the news to AFP on Saturday, December 6, 2025.
Defiance Amid Security Concerns
Harpviken stated he was in direct contact with Machado on Friday night, receiving her confirmation of attendance for the formal award ceremony scheduled for Wednesday, December 10, in Oslo. However, citing serious security considerations, he declined to provide specifics regarding her travel dates or method of arrival. "Given the security situation, we cannot say more about the date or how she will arrive," Harpviken emphasized.
This journey represents a significant act of defiance. In November, Venezuela's Attorney General, Tarek William Saab, explicitly told AFP that Machado would be considered a "fugitive" if she left the country to receive the prize. The Norwegian Nobel Committee had announced Machado as the laureate on October 10, 2025.
A Tense Political Backdrop in Venezuela
The decision to award Machado the Nobel Peace Prize comes amidst a prolonged and severe political crisis in Venezuela. Opposition activism has been largely suppressed following the arrest of approximately 2,400 people during protests that erupted after President Nicolás Maduro's controversial re-election in July 2024.
Machado, who has been in hiding since August 2024, has consistently accused Maduro of stealing that election—a position supported by numerous foreign governments. Her political stance aligns closely with that of former U.S. President Donald Trump, and she has endorsed Washington's characterization of the Maduro administration as a narcotics regime.
Furthermore, the Nobel laureate has publicly supported an increased U.S. military presence in the region, which has included strikes on vessels suspected of drug trafficking.
An International Stage for a Domestic Struggle
Machado's planned appearance at the Oslo City Hall will transform the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony into a powerful international platform highlighting Venezuela's ongoing democratic struggle. Her physical receipt of the award, despite the risks and threats from Caracas, is poised to be a symbolic moment watched globally.
The event underscores the continuing deep divisions within Venezuela and the intense international scrutiny on Maduro's government. Machado's journey from hiding to a global stage encapsulates the perilous path of dissent in her homeland and sets the stage for renewed diplomatic tensions following the ceremony.
