In the chilly December air of Oslo, anticipation hangs thick. The Norwegian capital, often a stage for history, is now the backdrop for one of the most dramatic Nobel Peace Prize ceremonies in recent memory. The world’s gaze has fixed on whether Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado, awarded the Nobel for her relentless pursuit of democracy, will appear in person to accept the honor on Wednesday, December 10, 2025. As of Tuesday morning, just hours before the official events are set to begin, her presence remains shrouded in mystery and tight security.
Machado, 58, has become a symbol of resistance against the government of Nicolás Maduro, Venezuela’s president since 2013. According to El País, this would mark her first public appearance since August 2024, when she went underground following a contentious presidential election on July 28, 2024. Her decision to vanish from public view wasn’t just for show—over a hundred members of her party, Vente Venezuela, have been arrested by Venezuelan intelligence services, and Machado herself is the subject of multiple criminal investigations. Venezuela’s attorney general, Tarek William Saab, has stated that if she leaves the country to accept the Nobel, she will be considered a fugitive, accused of conspiracy, incitement of hatred, and terrorism.
It’s no surprise, then, that the question on everyone’s lips in Oslo is simple: Will she make it? Even her family isn’t sure. Her mother, Corina Parisca de Machado, was spotted at Oslo’s airport on Monday, expressing hope but also resignation. Speaking to AFP, she said, “Every day I pray the rosary, I ask God the Father, the Virgin, both together, that we may have Maria Corina tomorrow. And if we don’t have her tomorrow, it is because that is God’s will.” The 84-year-old matriarch hasn’t seen her daughter in more than a year, underscoring the personal cost of Venezuela’s political struggle.
Other family members, including Machado’s daughter Ana Corina Sosa and her sister, have already arrived in Oslo, joining a swelling crowd of exiled Venezuelans and dignitaries. Among the notable guests is Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino, who, after meeting with Machado’s relatives, declared, “I reiterated Panama’s support for the freedom of the Venezuelan people.” Mulino drew parallels to his own nation’s past, recalling the 1989 U.S. invasion that ousted dictator Manuel Noriega. “We Panamanians know what it is to face hard times, we lived through it in 1989,” he reflected, as reported by El País.
But perhaps the highest-profile attendee is Argentine President Javier Milei. According to Ámbito, Milei flew to Oslo on Monday night after receiving a personal invitation from Machado, whom he hailed as an inspiration for her “enormous and brave fight for FREEDOM and democracy.” His visit will be brief—he’s due back in Buenos Aires for extraordinary legislative sessions—but his presence signals the ceremony’s international resonance. Several other Latin American leaders are expected, and the event has drawn a large police presence, particularly around Oslo’s Grand Hotel, where Nobel laureates traditionally stay.
The Nobel Peace Prize for Machado was announced on October 10, 2025, at a time of heightened tension between Venezuela and the United States. The U.S. military has increased its presence in the Caribbean, and President Donald Trump has oscillated between hints of possible intervention and more conciliatory tones. According to AFP, this backdrop has only intensified speculation about Machado’s safety and the risks she faces if she leaves Venezuela—or if she ever returns.
The official program in Oslo is packed. The ceremony itself is scheduled for Wednesday at 1:00 p.m. local time at Oslo City Hall. That evening, the city will host its traditional torch procession, winding from the Nobel Peace Center to the laureate’s balcony—a ritual honoring the year’s recipient. Later, a banquet with 200 guests, including members of the Norwegian government and royal family, will cap the day’s events. On Thursday, Machado is invited to meet with Norway’s Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store and members of parliament at the Storting, the country’s legislative body.
Yet, the question of Machado’s attendance remains unanswered. The Nobel Institute, through its director Kristian Berg Harpviken, confirmed on Saturday that Machado intended to receive the prize in person. “Machado confirmed she would receive her prize in person,” Harpviken told AFP. Erik Aasheim, spokesperson for the Institute, said they had communicated with Machado as recently as Friday night, and that she was still planning to attend. But, as sources from the organization and the Venezuelan opposition in exile told El País, every aspect of her travel is handled with extreme secrecy—down to the hour—given the extraordinary security risks.
Venezuelan authorities, meanwhile, have fueled the intrigue. Diosdado Cabello, Minister of the Interior and Chavismo’s number two, has been especially vocal. He’s claimed, sometimes with a hint of irony, that Machado has already left Venezuela, even suggesting she’s hiding in the U.S. embassy in Caracas—a building that’s been vacant since 2019. “We do not know anything. We are not taking place in that auction. It is an auction, the highest bidder wins,” Cabello said at a recent press conference, dismissing the Nobel as little more than a spectacle. “We have the best of all prizes, which is the people,” he added.
Machado herself, though largely silent for months, broke her silence last week in an interview with Norwegian broadcaster NRK. “We are working, doing everything, so that when the day comes we can meet in Norway,” she declared, a statement that only deepened the suspense. Her supporters, both in Venezuela and abroad, see her Nobel as a validation of their struggle. Machado has accused Maduro of stealing the 2024 presidential election—a claim supported by much of the international community—and has called for a “just and peaceful transition from dictatorship to democracy.”
The stakes for Machado are enormous. If she does appear in Oslo, she risks being branded a fugitive by her own government, potentially closing the door on a return to Venezuela. Yet, if she stays away, the symbolism of her absence would not go unnoticed. As The Wall Street Journal observed, “She is about to make the most important political decision of her life.”
For now, Oslo waits. The city is on edge, not just because of the heavy security or the presence of international dignitaries, but because this year’s Nobel Peace Prize is more than a ceremony—it’s a flashpoint in the ongoing struggle for Venezuela’s future. Whether Machado walks onto that stage or not, her story has already captured the world’s attention, and the outcome of this week’s events will reverberate far beyond the walls of Oslo City Hall.