Maria Corina Machado: Venezuelan Opposition Leader Remains in Hiding Despite Nobel Peace Prize Honor in Oslo

Venezuela's opposition leader Maria Corina Machado has been confirmed "safe" by Nobel officials, who stated she would arrive in Oslo by Thursday at the latest. However, she will not personally accept her Nobel Peace Prize at the ceremony.

Machado, honored with the Nobel for her challenge to Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro's authority, has remained in hiding for months following threats to her safety. She has not made public appearances during this time.

Appearing in Norway could potentially result in her arrest upon attempting to return to Venezuela, as authorities have threatened to declare her a fugitive should she leave the country.

Nobel Institute Director Kristian Berg Harpviken informed AFP on Wednesday that Machado was expected to reach Oslo "sometime between this evening and tomorrow morning," shortly before the 1:00 pm ceremony. Her daughter will accept the prestigious award on her behalf.

The Nobel Institute released a statement confirming Machado was "safe" and would be "with us in Oslo." They acknowledged her extraordinary efforts to attend "in a situation of extreme danger."

Among those present at the Oslo ceremony are Machado's mother, her three daughters, and several Latin American heads of state, including Argentine President Javier Milei.

Questions about Machado's attendance emerged when a scheduled press conference with the laureate was initially postponed and subsequently canceled.

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

While praised for her pro-democracy efforts, Machado has faced criticism for her alignment with US President Donald Trump, to whom she has dedicated her Nobel Prize.

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

Maduro maintains that these US operations, which Machado has supported as justified, aim to overthrow his government and take control of Venezuela's oil resources.

Since going into hiding, Machado's only public appearance occurred on January 9 in Caracas, where she protested Maduro's inauguration for his third presidential term.

The opposition claims its candidate, Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia, won the election. Gonzalez Urrutia, now living in exile, was also present in Oslo for the ceremony.

Throughout Nobel Peace Prize history, numerous recipients have been unable to personally collect their awards, with family members typically accepting on their behalf, as Harpviken explained earlier this week.

Concerns had been raised regarding how Machado would return to Venezuela if she traveled to Oslo. Her decision to remain in Venezuela has significantly bolstered her political influence.

Professor Benedicte Bull, a Latin America specialist at the University of Oslo, noted that Machado "risks being arrested if she returns, even though authorities have shown more restraint with her than with many others, because arresting her would have a very strong symbolic value."

Bull added that while "she is the undisputed leader of the opposition, if she were to stay away in exile for a long time, I think that would change and she would gradually lose political influence."

Both supporters and opponents of Machado organized demonstrations in Oslo on Wednesday.

Meanwhile, Nobel laureates in medicine, physics, chemistry, literature, and economics will receive their awards at a separate ceremony in Stockholm on the same day.