CHRONICLE FROM OSLO
Amidst chants and tears, Venezuelans celebrate María Corina Machado's Nobel Prize in Oslo
Although the Venezuelan leader was unable to be present at the ceremony where she was awarded the prize, which was received by her daughter Ana Corina Sosa Machado, Venezuelans gathered in front of Oslo City Hall to celebrate. Attendees were chanting, "¡Valiente!" ("Brave!").
Ana Corina Sosa Machado receives the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize.
The streets of Oslo were filled with Venezuelans who wanted to experience first-hand the awarding of the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize to María Corina Machado. Different festivities are taking place in the city to commemorate the recognition of the opposition leader. Music, reunions and hugs from the Venezuelan diaspora mark the agenda of the events organized on the occasion of the award.
Although the Venezuelan leader could not be present at the ceremony where she was awarded the prize, which was received by her daughter Ana Corina Sosa Machado, Venezuelans gathered at Oslo City Hall to celebrate. Attendees were chanting, "¡Valiente!" ("Brave!").
"It hasn't been easy to get here, but it's worth it. Too bad she couldn't be there for the delivery, but hope is the last thing to be lost. We are also waiting for freedom for Venezuela, which is very close. We are waiting and I know there is little left until then," said Paola Silva, one of the Venezuelans who was in front of Oslo City Hall watching the live broadcast of the ceremony.
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Most of the Venezuelans who were in Oslo traveled from other countries, convinced that this was a historic moment for their nation. Meanwhile, inside Oslo City Hall, the emotions of the guests and Machado's relatives were mixed between pride, expectation and the symbolic burden of receiving an award marked by her absence.
"El Alma Llanera" and "Venezuela" were the songs that Venezuelan Danny Ocean decided to perform for the occasion. Then, the Venezuelan pianist closed the event with "Mi Querencia" by Simón Díaz and the Venezuelan national anthem "Gloria al Bravo Pueblo."
In this way, Oslo experienced simultaneously the rigorous protocol of the official ceremony and a more open, symbolic and accessible celebration for the public, which sought to highlight the message of the award: freedom, the defense of human rights and democracy.
Nobel Peace Prize Ceremony
"Venezuela will breathe again"
The acceptance speech for the Nobel Peace Prize 2025 was delivered by Ana Corina Sosa on behalf of her mother, María Corina Machado. Her words, full of emotion and strength, reviewed the recent history of the country, the destruction caused by the socialist regime, and the perseverance and struggle of Venezuelans to get democracy back.
The speech concluded with a promise to Venezuelans:
"Venezuela will breathe again. We will open prison doors and watch thousands who were unjustly detained step into the warm sun, embraced at last by those who never stopped fighting for them," Machado said in her speech.
The Nobel laureates who could not (or did not want to) receive their award
These include Narges Mohammadi (2023), imprisoned in Iran when he won and represented by his children; Belarusian Ales Bialiatski (2022), imprisoned, with the award accepted by his wife; and China's Liu Xiaobo (2010), whose iconic empty chair symbolized his imprisonment and his family's inability to leave China.
Historic cases also stand out, such as Aung San Suu Kyi (1991), who declined to travel for fear of not being able to return to Burma; Lech Walesa (1983), who avoided leaving Poland for similar reasons; and Soviet physicist Andrei Sakharov (1975), who was banned from traveling by the USSR and was represented by his wife.
In 1973, laureates Henry Kissinger and Le Duc Tho did not attend. The Vietnamese diplomat refused the award, while the American secretary of state feared protests. Further back in time, German journalist Carl von Ossietzky (1935) remained in a Nazi concentration camp when he was honored and died without regaining his freedom.
International leaders present
Despite the absence of the laureate, the ceremony was attended by several Latin American leaders, including Javier Milei, José Raúl Mulino and Santiago Peña, as well as political figures such as U.S. Rep. María Elvira Salazar and Spanish Congresswoman Cayetana Álvarez de Toledo.
Machado's family traveled to Oslo on Monday to accept this historic recognition on her behalf. She is the first Venezuelan woman to receive a Nobel Prize. For now, the expected reunion between the opposition leader and her supporters will have to wait until Machado herself finally arrives in Norwegian territory.
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