Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado thanked the presidents of Paraguay and Panama, Santiago Peña and José Raúl Mulino, respectively, as well as U.S. Congresswoman María Elvira Salazar, on Wednesday for accepting the invitation to receive the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize on December 10 in Oslo, Norway. "We are truly honored that she will join us in Oslo on this important day for Venezuela and the entire region," she noted. In mid-November, President Mulino announced that he would accompany Machado to receive the award after the former Venezuelan congresswoman invited him to the ceremony. "Dear President José Raúl Mulino, what an honor to have you with us, on behalf of the brotherly people of Panama, on what will be a historic day for Venezuelans and for Latin America," Machado told the Norwegian newspaper Dagens Næringsliv. In mid-November, President Mulino announced that he would accompany Machado to receive the award after the former Venezuelan congresswoman invited him to the ceremony. Last October, Machado told the Norwegian newspaper Dagens Næringsliv that in order to travel, Venezuela had to be "free," and pointed out that as long as Nicolás Maduro was in power, she could not leave her current location for security reasons. The participation of Latin American leaders in the ceremony has been criticized by the ruling United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV), which called the presidents who will accompany Machado on the 10th in Oslo "vagrants" and "pimps." The Norwegian Nobel Committee recently stated that Machado made it clear she will travel to Oslo to receive the prize. However, the head of the Nobel Committee, Jørgen Watne Frydnes, told the public broadcaster NRK that it is "a dangerous trip because the Venezuelan regime has said it wants to get rid of her." He added that he hopes the opposition leader's safety will be guaranteed so she can reach Norway and return to Venezuela. "On that day, we will reaffirm our commitment to freedom," the former congresswoman wrote in a message published on X. She also thanked Peña, on the same social media platform, for joining Venezuelans on this "historic day for democracy and freedom" in the region. "Her commitment to democracy and freedom has been vital, and the Venezuelan people have seen how firmly she has supported us." Similarly, Machado acknowledged Republican Congresswoman María Elvira Salazar, who also accepted the invitation to Oslo, for being such a crucial ally in this struggle.
