Nobel Peace Prize awarded to Venezuela’s Maria Colina Machado
Maria Colina Machado won the Nobel Peace Prize after giving a powerful speech while accepting the award in her daughter’s absence.
The silence that had enveloped Oslo since Maria Colina Machado’s press conference was canceled was broken on December 10 this year by an unexpected video. Daughter Ana Colina Sosa crosses the main hall of Oslo City Hall to accept the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize on behalf of Venezuela’s opposition leader. Machado was unable to make it to the ceremony, but she and the Nobel Institute confirmed that she was traveling to Norway and would arrive “within a few hours.”
A visibly moved Sosa opened the ceremony with a message that shook the audience. “I can say with joy that in a few hours I will be able to hold her here in Oslo, after 16 months in seclusion.”
A few minutes later, he read out the acceptance speech written by his mother. This speech was a message dedicated to Venezuelans who are resisting both at home and abroad, and to those who are unable to see their families due to persecution.
“As I wait for the moment when I can hold her, I think of the other daughters and sons who cannot see their mothers today… She just wants to live in a free Venezuela and she will never give up on that goal.”
Nobel Committee calls for Maduro’s resignation, condemns torture, repression and humanitarian crisis
In an unusually frank speech, Norwegian Nobel Committee Chairman Jørgen Watne Fridnes called on President Nicolas Maduro to accept the results of the 2024 election and step down to allow a peaceful transition to democracy. “The Venezuelan people have already spoken. He must accept it and resign,” Fridnes declared. Machado and the rebels “lit a fire that no amount of torture, no amount of lies, no amount of fear can extinguish,” he added.
Addressing King Harald and King Sonia, as well as delegations from Panama, Argentina and Paraguay, the commission’s president accused Venezuela of becoming an authoritarian state characterized by torture, disappearances and one of the world’s largest refugee crises, with more than 8 million Venezuelans forced to migrate.
Fridnes also pointed the blame at the regime’s international allies, saying, “Behind President Maduro is Cuba, Russia, Iran, China, Hezbollah… They are strengthening the regime and making it more brutal.”
Who is María Colina Machado and what does her leadership in Latin America represent?
Machado, the daughter of a prominent Caracas family, trained as an industrial engineer and entered politics in 2002 as co-founder of Sumate, a civil society group that pushed for a recall referendum against Hugo Chávez. For two decades, he has faced judicial repression, parliamentary removals, and defamation campaigns, but has remained committed to a peaceful and electoral path. Her insistence on “staying and fighting from within” distinguishes her from other opposition leaders who have chosen exile.
The Nobel Committee also emphasized the symbolic value of their resistance in a region where democracy faces increasing threats. “Machado represents hope for a different future, where fundamental rights are protected and citizens’ voices are heard,” the statement said. Analysts said his award was a direct message to other pro-democracy movements in the hemisphere, and that the international community continues to monitor and recognize the courage of its citizens.
What was Maria Colina Machado’s message?
In a speech read by her daughter, Maria Colina Machado traced the history of Venezuela’s democracy and its gradual dissolution. He recalled political prisoners, persecutors and exiles, calling it an “open wound”.
The opposition dedicated the award to the “heroes of this path” and, she said, the millions of Venezuelans who defended their votes in the 2024 elections.
“The dictatorship responded with fear. 2,500 people were kidnapped, disappeared, and tortured for sharing their election records.” Yet his message was one of deep hope: “Venezuela will breathe again. We will open the prison doors and see the sun rise for thousands of innocent people.”
During the ceremony, the venue was filled with Venezuelan music, with Danny Ocean performing “Alma Llanera” and “Venezuela,” and pianist Gabriela Montero performing a moving version of “Mi Querencia.”
Machado promises to arrive in Oslo within hours and return to Venezuela soon.
The Nobel Institute confirmed that Machado was safe and on his way to Oslo, but he was unable to attend any official events that day. Sosa asserted that the opposition leader intends to return to Venezuela “soon”, a sign of political defiance that could reshape the domestic scenario.
Machado’s arrival in Oslo could be one of the most iconic moments of the year. After 16 months in hiding, the family is reunited to send a message to the world about the persistence of Venezuela’s democratic struggle.
contribution: Reuters
Boris Q’va is a national Spanish language trends news reporter for Connect/USA TODAY Network. You can follow him on X as @ByBorisQva or write to him at BBalsindesUrquiola@gannett.com.
