The daughter of Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Colina Machado accepted this year’s Nobel Peace Prize in Norway on behalf of her mother, who was unable to attend the ceremony in person, and spoke out about the country’s fight for democracy.
The Nobel Peace Prize winner, who has been living in hiding, was scheduled to attend Wednesday’s award ceremony in Oslo, defying a decade-long travel ban.
Wednesday’s statement suggested she would still be in Oslo at some point, although she did not attend the ceremony.
“I’m in Oslo. I’m on my way to Oslo,” Machado, 58, said in an audio recording released by the Norwegian Nobel Institute before the ceremony was scheduled to begin. She thanked those who “risked their lives” for her journey, adding that her plane would be leaving “literally right now.”
Earlier, her representative said: “We have confirmed that she will not be attending the Nobel Prize ceremony, but remain optimistic about her participation in the rest of the day’s events.”
Organizers said she had “made every effort to attend today’s ceremony” but that “her journey is extremely dangerous”.
The statement added: “Although she will not be able to attend the ceremony or today’s events, we are extremely relieved to confirm that she is safe and will join us in Oslo.”
The Norwegian Nobel Committee announced that Machado received the award for his tireless promotion of democratic rights in Venezuela and his “struggle to achieve a just and peaceful transition from dictatorship to democracy.”
His daughter Ana Colina Sosa Machado, 34, expressed hope that Venezuela would make an “orderly transition” to democracy.
“You’ll see grandmas holding their children on their laps and telling them stories not of their distant ancestors, but of their own parents’ courage.”
She said the award had deep meaning and reminded the world that democracy was “essential” to peace.
“And above all, what we Venezuelans can offer the world are the lessons forged through this long and difficult journey: that to achieve democracy, we must be willing to fight for freedom,” she said.
This story has been updated with additional developments.
