María Corina Machado could not travel to Oslo to receive in person the Nobel Peace Prize 2025. Instead, her daughter Ana Corina Sosa Machado collected the award and read an emotional speech.
📌 Context of the Nobel Peace Prize 2025
Awardee: María Corina Machado, Venezuelan opposition leader, recognized for her peaceful struggle against Nicolás Maduro's regime.
Ceremony: It took place on December 10, 2025, in Oslo, Norway.
Absence: Machado could not leave Venezuela due to her situation of clandestinity and political persecution. The Nobel Institute officially confirmed she would not attend.
Substitution: Her daughter, Ana Corina Sosa Machado, received the award in her name and delivered a speech that highlighted the importance of freedom and democracy.
🔑 Reasons for the cancellation
Clandestinity: Machado has been hiding since August 2025, making any international travel difficult.
Risk of exile: She herself stated that she would not accept leaving Venezuela to stay abroad, insisting that her struggle is within the country.
Security: The Nobel Committee noted that the journey to Oslo was fraught with tensions and risks, which ultimately prevented her arrival.
⚠️ Implications
For Venezuela: Machado's absence highlights the political repression and lack of freedoms in the country.
For the international community: It reinforces the narrative that the Nobel does not only reward one person but a people fighting for democracy.
For Machado: Although she was not present, her figure was strengthened as a symbol of resistance and commitment to always return to Venezuela.
In summary, María Corina Machado did not voluntarily cancel out of disinterest, but she could not travel for security reasons and political persecution. Her daughter collected the Nobel in her name, turning the ceremony into an even more symbolic act.
