Venezuelan Opposition Leader's Daughter to Accept Nobel Peace Prize as Maria Corina Machado Remains in Hiding

Maria Corina Machado with her daughter Ana Corina Machado

Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, currently in hiding, will not attend Wednesday's Nobel Peace Prize ceremony. The prestigious award will instead be accepted by her daughter, according to event organizers.

Machado has been seen only once in public since going underground in August last year amid escalating tensions with President Nicolas Maduro. Venezuela's attorney general has stated that the 58-year-old would be labeled a "fugitive" if she departed the country to receive the award.

Uncertainty about Machado's attendance persisted until shortly before the ceremony scheduled for 1:00pm (1200 GMT). Nobel Institute spokesperson Erik Aasheim ultimately confirmed to AFP that she would not be present.

"It will be her daughter Ana Corina Machado who will receive the prize in her mother's name," explained Nobel Institute director Kristian Berg Harpviken to Norway's NRK radio. "Her daughter will deliver the speech that Maria Corina herself wrote."

Harpviken admitted he "simply" did not know Machado's whereabouts.

Machado's mother and three daughters have traveled to Oslo for the ceremony, along with several Latin American heads of state, including Argentine President Javier Milei.

Despite earlier indications from organizers that Machado would attend, suspicions grew when Tuesday's traditional press conference with the award winner was first delayed and subsequently canceled.

Machado has accused Maduro of fraudulently claiming victory in Venezuela's July 2024 election, from which she was barred from participating. Her allegations have received substantial support from the international community.

The Oslo ceremony coincides with significant US military presence building up in the Caribbean region and recent deadly operations against alleged drug smuggling vessels.

Maduro contends that these US actions—which Machado has described as justified—aim to overthrow his government and seize Venezuela's oil reserves.

Since going into hiding, Machado has appeared publicly only once, on January 9 in Caracas, protesting Maduro's inauguration for his third presidential term.

The opposition maintains that its candidate, Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia, won the election. Urrutia, now living in exile, was also present in Oslo on Wednesday.

Machado received the Nobel Prize on October 10 for her democratic advocacy in Venezuela, challenging Maduro's authoritarian governance since 2013.

Venezuela's attorney general, Tarek William Saab, declared last month that the opposition leader would be considered a "fugitive" if she traveled to Norway to accept the award.

"By being outside Venezuela and facing numerous criminal investigations, she is classified as a fugitive," Saab informed AFP, adding that she faces accusations of "acts of conspiracy, incitement of hatred, and terrorism."

Harpviken explained earlier this week: "Throughout the history of the Peace Prize, there have been multiple occasions where laureates were prevented from attending the ceremony. In such cases, close family members typically receive the prize and deliver the lecture on behalf of the laureate."

Questions had emerged regarding how Machado would return to Venezuela.

"She faces potential arrest upon return, though authorities have shown more restraint with her than with many others, as arresting her would carry profound symbolic significance," observed Benedicte Bull, a professor specializing in Latin America at the University of Oslo.

Bull further noted, "She is the undisputed opposition leader, but prolonged exile would likely diminish her political influence over time."

While Machado has received widespread acclaim for her democratic advocacy in Venezuela, some critics have questioned her alignment with US President Donald Trump, to whom she has dedicated her Nobel Prize.

The Nobel laureates in medicine, physics, chemistry, literature, and economics will receive their awards at a separate ceremony in Stockholm on Wednesday.