Unable to Attend Ceremony Due to Severe Weather
Secretly Travels to the Caribbean
Reaffirms Commitment to Democracy and Expresses Intention to Return
Although former U.S. President Donald Trump openly expressed his ambition to win the Nobel Peace Prize, this year's Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, 58. However, Machado was unable to attend the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony. Recent reports indicate that she is expected to make her first public appearance in 11 months after emerging from hiding.
Maria Corina Machado, the Nobel Peace Prize laureate this year, was absent from the award ceremony, and her daughter Ana Corina Sosa Machado received the award on her behalf. Photo by Reuters Yonhap News
On December 11, Yonhap News, citing AFP and other sources, reported that Maria Corina Machado, the Venezuelan opposition leader and this year’s Nobel Peace Prize laureate, is set to appear publicly in connection with the Nobel Peace Prize after 11 months in hiding. According to Norwegian authorities, Machado is scheduled to hold a press conference regarding the Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo at 9:15 a.m. UTC on December 11. She was unable to attend the ceremony held that day, and instead, her daughter Ana Corina Sosa Machado, 34, accepted the award on her behalf. Her daughter, who resides in the United States, has supported her mother’s activities through social media and other means.
Previously, in October, the Norwegian Nobel Committee selected Machado as this year’s Peace Prize recipient, stating that she was “dedicated to promoting the democratic rights of the Venezuelan people and to peacefully transitioning the dictatorship to democracy.” However, since the presidential election on July 28 last year, Machado has been in hiding to avoid arrest by the Maduro regime, mainly communicating externally through online channels. The last time she appeared in public was on January 9 this year at an anti-government protest held in Caracas.
On the 6th, Venezuelans living in Spain held flags in Madrid to support Nobel Peace Prize laureate Maria Corina Machado. Photo by Reuters Yonhap News
According to Bloomberg and other foreign media, Machado secretly traveled by boat to Cura?ao, a Dutch territory in the Caribbean, the day before the award ceremony. However, due to severe weather, her schedule was delayed, and she was unable to arrive in time for the ceremony. It is also reported that there is a small U.S. military base in Cura?ao. In a phone call with the Norwegian Nobel Committee, Machado stated, “I am currently on my way to Oslo,” and added, “Many people risked their lives to help me get this far.” She further emphasized, “The support for me is a measure of what this award means to the people of Venezuela.”
She also said, “I will be reunited with my family for the first time in two years,” and added, “I will embrace the people of Venezuela and Norway who have stood in solidarity for democracy.” In Oslo, Machado is expected to reunite with her three children, who have lived abroad and have been exposing the Venezuelan government’s anti-democratic actions.
Bloomberg reported that some officials from the Maduro government cooperated in Machado’s departure, and U.S. officials view this as a signal that the Maduro regime may seek cooperation with the international community after its collapse. Machado has previously expressed her intention to return to Venezuela after her stay in Norway. However, Venezuelan authorities have stated that she is under investigation for alleged criminal conspiracy and warned that she would be considered a fugitive if she leaves the country. The government had already imposed a travel ban on her.
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