Nobel Peace Prize laureate Maria Corina Machado said on Thursday that she would do her “best” to return to Venezuela to help end what she called the country’s “tyranny,” after making a surprise appearance in Norway following months in hiding.
Machado, the leading opponent of President Nicolás Maduro, told reporters as she left the Norwegian parliament that she had come to accept the prize on behalf of the Venezuelan people and would take it back to Venezuela “at the correct moment.” She declined to say when or how she would return, citing security risks.
The 58-year-old opposition figure has lived in hiding in Venezuela since August 2024 and missed the official Nobel Peace Prize ceremony in Oslo on Wednesday. She arrived in Norway overnight and later appeared on a hotel balcony, waving to cheering supporters.
Machado confirmed that the United States helped her reach Norway from Venezuela. According to media reports, she travelled in disguise via sea to the Caribbean island of Curaçao before flying to Oslo. She thanked those who “risked their lives” to assist her journey.
Venezuelan authorities had warned that Machado could be considered a fugitive if she travelled abroad. Asked about her safety, she said anyone who speaks the truth in Venezuela is in danger, but added that returning home was “always worthwhile.”
Machado won the Nobel Peace Prize for her struggle to achieve a democratic transition in Venezuela and has accused Maduro of stealing the July 2024 election, a claim backed by much of the international community.
