Venezuelan opposition leader Machado will not attend Peace Prize ceremony
OSLO, Norway — The director of the Nobel Institute announced that the recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize, María Corina Machado, will not be present at the awards ceremony in Oslo on Wednesday. Instead, her daughter will accept the prestigious award on her behalf.
Instituto director Kristian Berg Harpviken informed the public that the Venezuelan opposition leader was not in Oslo on the day of the event. Machado has been out of the public eye for almost a year, with her last public appearance dating back to 11 months ago.
Machado has been in hiding since her brief detention in January following a protest in Caracas, Venezuela. She was nominated for her relentless efforts in advocating for a democratic transition in her country.
Despite facing obstacles from the government, Machado won an opposition primary election and was set to challenge President Nicolás Maduro in the previous year’s election. However, she was prohibited from running for office, and Edmundo González took her place.
The lead-up to the election was marred by repression, disqualifications, and human rights abuses. Following Maduro’s controversial win, González sought asylum in Spain to evade arrest in Venezuela.
Concerns have been raised by U.N. human rights officials and various independent groups regarding the situation in Venezuela, urging accountability for Maduro’s crackdown on dissent.
