Maria Corina Machado, a leading voice of the Venezuelan opposition was recently awarded the Nobel Peace Prize at Oslo, Norway. She is still fighting the Maduro regime, exposing its repressive strategy of terror and the plunder of the nation’s wealth. Yet this recognition arrives as she takes on this ambitious campaign for change. Machado’s road to accepting the prestigious award was not without challenges. Her experience was a testament to what she will sacrifice as an advocate for democracy in Venezuela.
Machado is committed to making global moves that cut the Venezuelan government’s access to oil revenues. This pledge is chutzpah at the center of her platform. She has consistently, vocally, and strongly condemned the Maduro administration. Rather than responding to their population’s immediate needs such as food and medical care, they are diverting money generated from illicit criminal operations, most notably black market oil exports, to further suppress and persecute the Venezuelan populace.
In an interview following her arrival in Norway, Machado expressed her gratitude for those who risked their lives to help her make the trip. She stated, “I don’t think they have known where I have been, and certainly they would have done everything to stop me from coming here.” Her journey out of Venezuela was much more audacious. She fled by fishing boat, using a wig as a disguise to avoid discovery at military checkpoints, before eventually catching a private jet to Oslo.
Machado landed just a few hours after her daughter Lukas earned her the Nobel Peace Prize, which she accepted for her mother. She wanted to recognize all of the support she was provided, especially by the U.S. office, which made her trip possible. “I believe that President Trump’s actions have been decisive to reach the point where we are right now, in which the regime is weaker than ever,” she noted. She was careful not to call out the United States specifically when discussing recent developments, such as the seizure of an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela. Rather than overstating expectations, she emphasized the need for collaborative, global work to drain the regime of its financial support.
Even after her victory in Oslo, Machado has her eyes set on what she hopes is the future of Venezuela. She promised that she’ll go home before long, no matter if President Nicolás Maduro is still in power or not. “I’ll be back in Venezuela, I have no doubt,” she declared resolutely. She has been inundated—just as she herself expected—with invitations to travel to other European capitals and the U.S. This increasing fascination with her leadership goes far beyond Venezuela’s borders.
“The regime is using the resources – the cash flows that come from illegal activities, including the black market of oil – not to give food for hungry children, not for teachers who earn $1 a day, not to hospitals in Venezuela that do not have medicine or water, not for security,” Machado stated. “They use those resources to repress and persecute our people.” Her advocacy isn’t just about talking the talk. She is convinced that breaking apart these criminal enterprises is the first step to giving democracy back to the people of Venezuela.
Machado’s arrival in Norway marks a significant turn in her political path. It ought to underscore her fierce resolve to take on the regime. She knows that international solidarity is essential for winning democracy and freedom in her country, as it is everywhere.
That’s what I think a lot of these meetings are, and I find them very helpful before I go back home,” she continued. She hinted at her plans to meet with world leaders to discuss Venezuela’s future.
