Venezuela’s Machado to receive peace prize in Oslo: Nobel Institute

Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, who lives in hiding in her country, has confirmed she will travel to Oslo to receive her Nobel Peace Prize, the head of the Nobel Institute told AFP on Saturday (December 6, 2025).

“I was in contact with Ms. Machado last night (Friday) and she confirms that she will be in Oslo for the ceremony,” Kristian Berg Harpviken said.

“Given the security situation, we cannot say more about the date or how she will arrive,” he added.

Venezuela’s Attorney General, Tarek William Saab, told AFP last month that Ms. Machado would be considered a “fugitive” if she travelled to Norway to accept the peace prize, which she was awarded on October 10.

The Nobel Peace Prize ceremony, formally handing over the award, is to take place on Wednesday (December 10) in Oslo.

Opposition activism in Venezuela has been muted since the arrest of some 2,400 people during protests that followed the most recent re-election of President Nicolas Maduro in July 2024.

Ms. Machado has accused Mr. Maduro of stealing the election, a claim backed by much of the international community.

Ms. Machado, in hiding since August 2024, is a supporter of U.S. President Donald Trump and agrees with Washington’s assessment that Mr. Maduro heads a drug cartel.

The Nobel Peace laureate has welcomed a beefed-up U.S. military presence in the region, which has seen strikes on alleged drug boats.