Venezuelan opposition leader, Maria Corina Machado, who was awarded the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize for her work to bring democracy to her country, will not attend the award ceremony in Oslo, Norway. The prize will be accepted on her behalf by her daughter, organizers confirmed hours before the event. Machado, 58, has been living in hiding since August last year amidst a tense political showdown with President Nicolas Maduro. She has been seen in public only once since going underground, making her last public appearance on January 9 in Caracas during a protest against Maduro's inauguration for his third term. Her absence from the prestigious ceremony comes after Venezuelas attorney general warned last month that Machado would be considered a fugitive if she left the country to accept the award, citing pending criminal investigations against her for acts of conspiracy, incitement of hatred, [and] terrorism. The Nobel Institute's director, Kristian Berg Harpviken, confirmed that Machado was not in Norway, stating that her daughter, Ana Corina Machado, would receive the prize and deliver the speech written by her mother. Harpviken acknowledged the high-stakes situation, noting that Machado "lives under a death threat from the regime" and that few people are informed of her movements. "It has happened multiple times in the history of the Peace Prize that the laureate has been prevented from attending the ceremony and on those occasions its always been the case that close family members of the laureate will receive the prize and give the lecture in the place of the laureate, Harpviken explained. Machado's family, including her mother and three daughters, are in Oslo for the prize-giving at City Hall. They are joined by several Latin American heads of state, including Argentine President Javier Milei, in a clear signal of solidarity. Machado was awarded the Nobel on October 10 for challenging Maduros iron-fisted rule since 2013 and for her non-violent struggle. She has been hailed for her efforts in favor of democracy, though she has also faced criticism for aligning herself with US President Donald Trump, to whom she dedicated her Nobel Prize. The ceremony coincides with a large US military build-up in the Caribbean, which Maduro insists is aimed at toppling his government and seizing Venezuelas oil reserves, an operation which Machado has publicly said is justified. The post Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado to miss Nobel Peace Prize Award as she continues hiding in country appeared first on Linda Ikeji Blog.
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