MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Machado's daughter accepts Nobel Peace Prize

Through her daughter, Machado dedicated her accolade “to the anonymous heroes of the resistance”

The daughter of Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado accepted the Nobel Peace Prize on her mother's behalf, delivering a speech against “state terrorism” in their country under Nicolás Maduro.

Ana Corina Sosa Machado read the message as the laureate was unable to attend the ceremony due to what the Nobel Committee described as the “great danger” surrounding her travel.

Machado condemned the kidnappings, torture, and persecution of opponents, citing “crimes against humanity documented by the United Nations” and “state terrorism used to bury the will of the people.” In a message to the international community and the Venezuelan resistance, Machado insisted that “we must be willing to fight for freedom.”

“From 1999, the regime dedicated itself to dismantling our democracy: it violated the Constitution, falsified our history, corrupted the Armed Forces, purged independent judges, censored the press, manipulated elections, persecuted dissent, and devastated our biodiversity,” the outlawed leader also pointed out.

Before the ceremony, the Norwegian Nobel Committee released a telephone conversation in which Machado told its president, Jørgen Watne Frydnes, that she was “very sad” to be unable to attend. She also mentioned that “many people have risked their lives” to facilitate her transfer to Norway.

While an aide suggested the opposition leader was expected to arrive in Norway “in a few hours,” the specific dangers of her high-risk travel prevented her from being there on time. Machado was reported to have been traveling discreetly since going underground in 2024.

In her remarks, Ana Corina Sosa Machado assured the audience that her mother would return to Venezuela “very soon,” convinced she will “never give up” on the goal of a free nation.

María Corina Machado remains one of the most defiant voices against the Chavista regime. She dedicated her accolade to the “anonymous heroes of the resistance,” recalling the 2024 elections, which Maduro claimed to have won despite producing no substantiating evidence.