Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, winner of the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize, has arrived in Oslo but will not attend the official ceremony, according to Kristian Berg Harpviken, director of the Norwegian Nobel Institute. Her unexpected absence has added an air of intrigue to one of the world’s most renowned international events, especially after officials earlier admitted they did not know her whereabouts.

Machado, 58, was expected to appear at Oslo City Hall on Wednesday, where Norway’s King Harald and Queen Sonja, as well as several Latin American leaders—including Argentina’s Javier Milei and Ecuador’s Daniel Noboa—were scheduled to attend. Instead, her daughter, Ana Corina Sosa Machado, will collect the prestigious award on her behalf.

Nobel Institute Confirms Machado Is Safe in Oslo

In a message released shortly before the ceremony, the Nobel Institute said it was “profoundly happy to confirm that Machado is safe and will be with us in Oslo,” though she will not appear publicly. The development follows a confusing 48 hours in which:

• A planned press conference with Machado was canceled
• The Nobel Institute admitted it did not know her location
• Reports surfaced that she was en route from an undisclosed country where she had been hiding

Machado later confirmed her travel in an audio recording: “I will be in Oslo, I am on my way.”

Her arrival is expected sometime between Wednesday evening and Thursday morning.

A Nobel Prize Awarded in the Shadows

Machado’s selection in October as the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize laureate drew global attention. The Nobel committee praised her “steadfast commitment to democracy” and her leadership of Venezuela’s opposition movement. Machado dedicated part of the award to U.S. President Donald Trump, who controversially claimed he deserved the honor himself.

The storyline took another dramatic turn as Machado’s long-standing travel ban and more than a year spent in hiding left many questioning whether she could safely journey to Europe.

Political Controversy and Right-Wing Alliances

Machado is one of the most polarizing figures in Latin America. A right-wing leader of Vente Venezuela, she has:

• Supported U.S. sanctions on Venezuela
• Endorsed U.S. military intervention
• Embraced foreign leaders across the global far right
• Voiced strong pro-Israel positions during the war in Gaza

Her critics argue that these positions invite harmful foreign interference reminiscent of Cold War–era U.S. operations in Latin America, which backed dictatorships, funded paramilitary groups, and contributed to widespread human rights abuses.

Venezuelan authorities banned her from running in the 2024 presidential election, citing her calls for U.S. intervention. Machado maintains she would have defeated President Nicolas Maduro, whom she accuses of “stealing” the election.

Support for Israel Adds to Global Backlash

Shortly after her Nobel announcement, Machado spoke by phone with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, expressing her support for Israel during its ongoing war in Gaza. She has vowed to move Venezuela’s embassy to Jerusalem if her movement comes to power, echoing Trump’s decision to move the U.S. embassy in 2018.

This aligns Machado with a growing bloc of right-wing Latin American leaders taking strongly pro-Israel stances, including President Milei in Argentina and former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro.

U.S. Military Operations Raise Regional Tensions

Machado has also aligned herself with Trump-aligned foreign policy hawks who claim—without consensus from U.S. intelligence agencies—that Maduro’s government directly supports criminal networks threatening U.S. national security.

Under Trump, the U.S. has intensified military operations across the Caribbean and Pacific coasts of Latin America. More than 20 military strikes have been ordered in recent months on alleged drug-trafficking vessels.

Human rights groups, several Democratic lawmakers, and multiple Latin American governments have condemned the attacks as extrajudicial killings, saying many victims were civilians.

Maduro Prepares for Resistance, Warns of U.S. Interference

President Maduro argues that the Trump administration is actively pursuing regime change to gain control over Venezuela’s massive oil reserves. He has vowed to resist any foreign-backed attempt to overthrow his government.

According to sources familiar with Venezuelan military planning and documents reviewed by Reuters, Maduro’s armed forces are preparing guerrilla-style defensive strategies should the United States launch an air or ground invasion.

A Ceremony Marked by Mystery, Politics, and Historic Symbolism

Despite the global attention, Machado’s absence from the ceremony underscores the profound uncertainty surrounding Venezuelan politics and the risks faced by opposition figures. Her daughter’s acceptance of the award will stand as a symbolic moment—reflecting both the celebration of democratic activism and the dangers that continue to shadow Venezuela’s political landscape.