Mysterious arrival: Machado has finally reached Oslo to receive the Nobel Prize

Machado (58) spent more than a year mostly in hiding, defying the travel ban, and arrived in Norway just a few hours after the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony, Reuters reported.

Her daughter, Ana Corina Sosa, delivered the acceptance speech on Wednesday, as Machado was unable to attend at that time.

Machado told the BBC that she is “aware of the risks” involved in traveling to Norway.

She emphasized that she plans to return to Venezuela and expressed her readiness to contribute to a peaceful transition of power. The Venezuelan government had previously stated that it would consider her a fugitive if she leaves the country, accusing her of conspiracy, inciting hatred, and terrorism.

• Nobel laureate speaks out from hiding: “I am coming to Oslo”

Details of her journey to Oslo were kept strictly secret. According to media reports, Machado passed through multiple checkpoints and traveled part of the way by boat from a coastal fishing village, with the support of a network that helps people leave the country.

The Norwegian Nobel Committee awarded Machado for her fight against what they described as dictatorship in Venezuela, confirming that the leader had arrived in Oslo to personally receive the honor.

Machado has been under a long-term travel ban imposed by the Venezuelan authorities and has been in hiding for over a year. Her current location is unknown, but the Norwegian Nobel Committee invited her to Oslo to receive the prize in the presence of King Harald, Queen Sonja, and Latin American leaders, including Argentine President Javier Milei and Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa.

Machado, who last appeared in public 11 months ago, was scheduled to hold a press conference yesterday—a traditional event for Nobel Peace Prize laureates—a day before the official award ceremony, AP reported.