“I am absolutely grateful to President Trump for every gesture, every signal and every moment he has supported the Venezuelan people. I have followed it very closely and I know what it has meant to those who are fighting to regain democracy and freedom in our country,” she stated.
“A free and democratic Venezuela is not only possible – it is closer than ever. And that free Venezuela is breathing louder than ever before,” Machado said, adding that her Nobel Peace Prize is also dedicated to Trump. “This Nobel Prize symbolizes that fight for freedom and is dedicated to the Venezuelan people and to President Trump for showing what strong leadership looks like in the moments that matter most.”
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Nobel Peace Prize winner Maria Corina Machado waves at the Grand Hotel in Oslo, Norway early Thursday, December 11, 2025. (Lise Åserud/NTB Scanpix via AP)
Machado’s comments come as she resurfaced publicly in Oslo, Norway, after 11 months in hiding. After a brief detention during an anti-government protest in Caracas, she went underground as pressure from the Maduro government increased.
Her return to the public eye coincided with the presentation of the Nobel Peace Prize, where her daughter, Ana Corina Sosa, accepted the award on her behalf. The Associated Press reported that Machado waved to cheering supporters from a hotel balcony — her first public appearance in nearly a year.
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The Nobel Peace Prize laureate’s daughter, Ana Corina Sosa, accepts the award on behalf of her mother, Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, during the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony at Oslo City Hall, Norway, on December 10. (Ole Berg-Rusten/NTB Scanpix, Pool via AP)
Machado was barred from running in the 2024 presidential election despite winning opposition primaries by a wide margin, a move that drew strong criticism from Western governments.
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Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado addresses supporters during a protest against President Nicolas Maduro in Caracas, Venezuela, Thursday, January 9, 2025, the day before his inauguration for a third term. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos)
Machado ultimately backed González, who was widely seen by independent results as having won the 2024 elections but who did not assume the presidency after Venezuela’s official National Electoral Council, controlled by Maduro allies, declared Nicolás Maduro the winner and inaugurated him for a new term.
Machado has indicated she plans to return to Venezuela as soon as conditions allow, and continues to call for a peaceful transition away from Maduro’s rule.
