Norway wakes up with the news that the democratic leader María Corina Machado will not collect the Nobel Peace Prize on Wednesday at the ceremony scheduled for 13:00 at the Oslo City Hall.
This was communicated by the Norwegian channel NRK, quoting the director of the Nobel Institute, Kristian Berg Harpviken. "Unfortunately, she is not in Norway now and will not be on the stage of Oslo City Hall at 13:00 today when the ceremony begins," were Harpviken's words disseminated by this media outlet. The director has stated, as highlighted by NRK, that it will be Ana Corina Machado, the eldest daughter of the awardee, who will receive the recognition in her hands.
As the eldest and only woman among the descendants, Ana Corina has taken on the representation of Machado outside Venezuelan borders on different occasions to convey the message of freedom. She has already received, on behalf of her mother, recognitions such as the Sakharov 2024, the Heroes of Democracy 2025 award, and the Gold Medal of the Americas Society 2025. "It would make me very sad, and it would be unfair, if I had to take on the role of collecting the Nobel for her," she told EL MUNDO in a recent interview.
Until Tuesday night, the expectation that the opposition leader would attend the main event was high. So much so that several assumed she was already on Norwegian soil, even if she had not been seen yet. The Norwegian Nobel Committee had also counted on her presence.
However, Venezuelans still do not accept the idea of not seeing María Corina in Oslo. "I do not lose hope that she will come. I know her story, and she has always achieved the impossible," expressed former mayor Antonio Ledezma from the lobby of the Grand Hotel Oslo.
"I imagine she is scheming, if she has already left, how she will return. Because she will return," Ledezma speculated and insisted: "That is in case she has already left," as he claims not to have spoken with her and therefore does not know her whereabouts. "This is a fight against a mafia. And that mafia is offering diamonds and gold to reward whoever catches María Corina," added the former mayor of Caracas.
Yesterday, in fact, her first public appearance at a press conference was scheduled, but it was ultimately canceled because the Venezuelan leader had not yet arrived. "María Corina Machado has stated in interviews how difficult the trip to Oslo, Norway, will be. Therefore, at this time, we cannot provide more information on when and how she will arrive at the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony," explained the Norwegian organization, which had always assumed that the awardee would be present on the big day.
Her family traveled last Monday to accompany the first Venezuelan woman to receive a Nobel Prize. However, her mother Corina Parisca, her children Ana Corina, Ricardo, and her sisters will not have a reunion hug on December 10. Nor will she see in person her main allies in the fight for democracy in Venezuela, such as Edmundo González Urrutia, Magalli Meda, her right-hand woman and director of her campaign headquarters; Pedro Urruchurtu, international coordinator of Vente Venezuela (VV); and Claudia Macero, VV's Communication Chief. All of them were already waiting for her in Oslo.
Likewise, the presidents Javier Milei (Argentina), José Raúl Mulino (Panama), and Santiago Peña (Paraguay) traveled to the Nordic country to accompany María Corina Machado. As did the U.S. congresswoman María Elvira Salazar and the deputy for the Popular Party Cayetana Álvarez de Toledo.
Machado went into hiding in early August 2024, after the repression unleashed following the elections won by Edmundo González Urrutia, something that the Venezuelan demonstrated with the compilation of the electoral records. These election results were not recognized by Nicolás Maduro, who illegitimately assumed power.
The reasons why the Venezuelan will finally not attend the event or the subsequent celebrations are still unknown, as well as whether she left Venezuela or not. From her work team, they have urged from the Grand Hotel Oslo to remain calm: "These are days of great uncertainty, but we will wait."