Nobel Laureate Maria Corina Machado Vows to Return to Venezuela and End Tyranny Despite Risks

Machado made her first public appearance on Thursday from the balcony of her Oslo hotel.

Norway:

Nobel Peace laureate Maria Corina Machado declared her commitment to return to Venezuela to end the "tyranny" in her country during a press conference in Oslo on Thursday, following nearly a year in hiding.

After disappearing in January following her challenge to President Nicolas Maduro's rule, Machado emerged dramatically on a hotel balcony in the Norwegian capital to the cheers of supporters early Thursday, having completed a secretive escape from Venezuela.

During her press conference, she expressed gratitude to those who "risked their lives" to facilitate her journey to Oslo. The details of her escape and plans for return remain undisclosed, especially considering Venezuela's threat to treat her as a fugitive should she leave the country.

Speaking to reporters outside Norway's parliament, Machado affirmed she would do her "best" to return home.

"I came to receive the prize on behalf of the Venezuelan people and I will take it back to Venezuela at the correct moment," she stated.

While declining to reveal the timing or method of her return, she emphasized her desire "to end with this tyranny very soon and have a free Venezuela."

In a BBC interview, Machado acknowledged the dangers involved: "I know exactly the risks I'm taking."

"I'm going to be in the place where I'm most useful for our cause," she added. "Until a short time ago, the place I thought I had to be was Venezuela, the place I believe I have to be today, on behalf of our cause, is Oslo."

Machado first appeared on the Grand Hotel's balcony in the middle of the night, waving and blowing kisses to supporters chanting "libertad" ("freedom") below.

She later climbed over barriers to embrace her supporters, many of whom presented her with rosaries.

Machado revealed the personal cost of her hiding, having missed significant family events including graduations and weddings.

"For over 16 months I haven't been able to hug or touch anyone," she told the BBC. "Suddenly in the matter of a few hours I've been able to see the people I love the most, and touch them and cry and pray together."

The Nobel Institute commended Machado's determination to attend the ceremony, describing her journey as one of "extreme danger."

Machado received the Peace Prize for "her struggle to achieve a just and peaceful transition from dictatorship to democracy."

She has consistently accused Maduro of stealing Venezuela's July 2024 election, from which she was banned—a claim supported by much of the international community.

Since her last public appearance on January 9 in Caracas, where she protested Maduro's third-term inauguration, Machado has largely remained in hiding.

Her decision to leave Venezuela for the Oslo ceremonies carries significant personal and political risks.

"She risks being arrested if she returns even if the authorities have shown more restraint with her than with many others, because arresting her would have a very strong symbolic value," explained Benedicte Bull, a University of Oslo professor specializing in Latin America.

While Machado remains the "undisputed" opposition leader, Bull noted that "if she were to stay away in exile for a long time, I think that would change and she would gradually lose political influence."

In her Nobel acceptance speech, delivered by her daughter on Wednesday, Machado condemned the kidnappings and torture under Maduro's leadership as "crimes against humanity" and "state terrorism, deployed to bury the will of the people."

Though praised for her democratic advocacy, Machado has faced criticism for aligning with US President Donald Trump, to whom she dedicated her Nobel, and for inviting foreign intervention in Venezuela.

The United States has recently increased its military presence in the Caribbean and conducted strikes on alleged drug-smuggling vessels.

On Wednesday, Trump announced that the US had seized a "very large" oil tanker near Venezuela, which Caracas denounced as "blatant theft."

Maduro maintains that these US operations—supported by Machado—aim to overthrow his government and seize Venezuela's oil reserves.