Welcomed with a sea of cheers, applause, supportive slogans, and embraces from a people that admire her resilience, Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado arrived in Oslo, where she will receive the Nobel Peace Prize 2025 this Thursday.
According to the confirmation from the president of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, Jørgen Watne Frydnes, the opposition leader arrived in the Norwegian capital and went directly to meet with her family, after months of persecution and hiding in Venezuela, reported EFE.
“María Corina Machado is already in Oslo and on her way to get here,” Frydnes said to the supporters waiting for her in front of the Grand Hotel, amidst shouts of “Brave!” and “Freedom for Venezuela!”
Previously, her daughter Ana Corina Sosa received the award and delivered the speech in which the leader expressed gratitude for the international support and stated that "Venezuela will breathe again."
The arrival of the opposition leader came after a complicated journey out of Venezuela, which included a maritime crossing to Curaçao before flying to Europe, according to The Wall Street Journal, cited by the agency EFE.
Sources quoted by the newspaper indicated that the relocation was carried out in secret due to the risk of arrest by Nicolás Maduro's regime.
The President of the United States, Donald Trump, reacted from the White House to the news and warned that he "would not like" Venezuelan authorities to arrest Machado upon her return to the country.
The president emphasized that the opposition leader "was very gracious" in mentioning him during the ceremony and described her recognition as an "act of justice towards those who defend freedom."
Machado is scheduled to attend official events at the Norwegian Parliament on Friday and to meet with Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, as confirmed by the Nobel Committee.
If he does so, it would be his first public appearance since January of this year, when he began to hide for fear of arbitrary detention.
The The Guardian, cited by EFE, recalled that Machado launched a national reconciliation program in 2025 and denounced the repression by Maduro's government against opponents and demonstrators.
Her recognition with the Nobel Peace Prize established her as one of the most influential figures in the Latin American democratic movement.
The leader, who dedicated the award to Venezuelans who “do not give up,” reaffirmed her commitment to return to her country: “My struggle does not end here. I will come back soon, because Venezuela deserves freedom and justice,” she stated.
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