Nobel Peace Prize Ceremony: Maria Corina Machado's daughter, Ana Corina Sosa, accepts award on her behalf in Oslo
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "Nobel Peace Prize Ceremony: Maria Corina Machado's daughter, Ana Corina Sosa, accepts award on her behalf in Oslo")
Maria Corina Machado's daughter accepting the award Photograph: (AFP)
Maria Corina Machado's daughter, Ana Corina Sosa, accepted the Nobel Peace prize on her mother's behalf at a ceremony held in Oslo
Maria Corina Machado's daughter, Ana Corina Sosa, accepted the Nobel Peace Prize award on her behalf in a ceremony held on Wednesday (December 10) in Oslo. Democracies must be willing to defend freedom in order to endure, Venezuelan opposition leader and Nobel Peace Prize recipient Maria Corina Machado said on Wednesday. Her remarks were read by her daughter, Ana Corina Sosa Machado, as Machado was unable to attend the ceremony in Oslo.
Machado said the award carried deep meaning not only for Venezuela but for people around the globe. “It is a reminder that peace is impossible without democracy,” her daughter read from the prepared remarks. She added that Venezuela’s long struggle had taught a crucial lesson: those who want to live in a democratic society must be ready to stand up for liberty. A large portrait of Machado smiling was placed inside Oslo City Hall to symbolise her presence.
“Freedom is something we must win again each day, and only if we are willing to defend it,” the speech continued. “That is why Venezuela’s fight resonates far beyond its borders. When a nation chooses freedom, it not only frees itself, it strengthens humanity as a whole.” Machado was prohibited from competing in Venezuela’s 2024 presidential election despite a sweeping victory in the opposition primary. She went into hiding in August 2024 after authorities broadened their crackdown on opposition leaders following the disputed national vote.
Although the electoral council and the Supreme Court proclaimed President Nicolas Maduro the victor, independent observers and opposition groups insist their candidate won. They have released detailed tallies from individual ballot boxes to support their claim.
Warning about 'fragile' institutions
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In her comments, Machado said Venezuelans realised too late that their democratic system was deteriorating. “By the time we understood how weakened our institutions had become, the damage had already been done,” she said. She referenced former President Hugo Chavez, who came to power in 1999 after previously leading a failed military coup.
“Many believed his charisma could take the place of the rule of law,” she said. “Since then, the regime has worked relentlessly to dismantle our democracy.” Maduro, who succeeded Chavez in 2013, maintains that US President Donald Trump has attempted to overthrow him in order to gain control of Venezuela’s vast oil resources. He argues that both Venezuelan citizens and the military would resist any such move.
Tribute to US President Donald Trump
After being awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in October, Machado partly dedicated the honour to Trump, who has previously claimed he deserves the prize himself. Machado has aligned with hardline Trump associates who contend that Maduro’s government is tied to criminal networks that endanger US national security, a view not fully supported by US intelligence agencies.
In recent months, the Trump administration authorised more than 20 military strikes against what it described as drug-trafficking vessels in the Caribbean and off the Pacific coast of Latin America. These operations have drawn sharp criticism from human rights organisations, Democratic lawmakers, and several Latin American governments, who argue the strikes amount to unlawful extrajudicial killings of civilians.
