Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado, winner of the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize, declared this Thursday in Oslo at a press conference with Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre that she has high hopes that Venezuela will become 'free' and be able to welcome back all Venezuelans 'who have had to flee the country'. Machado, who could not arrive in time for the official Nobel Prize ceremony on December 10 for security reasons, appeared before the press in the Norwegian capital on Thursday and stated that her award is 'a recognition to the Venezuelan people' and to those who have suffered oppression and violence in her country. During the conference, the leader emphasized that 'it takes courage to fight for freedom', stressing that democracy is the system that can bring peace to society and serve as a basis for the reconstruction of a fragmented country. Machado also stated that 'Venezuela has already been invaded' and accused the government of Nicolás Maduro of allowing Russian and Iranian agents, as well as terrorist groups and drug cartels, to operate freely. The opposition leader also publicly announced her intention to return to Venezuela when circumstances allow her to directly contribute to the democratic struggle. She requested Norway, which she had previously criticized for its role in mediating the Venezuelan conflict, to support cutting off these resources and denouncing the situation in the country. Machado arrived in Oslo on Tuesday after a long journey from Venezuela, where she lives in hiding, after her arrival in Norway was marked by uncertainty, a press conference scheduled for last Tuesday was suspended, and her participation in the Nobel Prize ceremony.
