In the final hours of Wednesday, December 10, it was learned that María Corina Machado is on her way to Norway, following an audio recording released by the Nobel Committee in which she confirmed she was “safe”.

The Wall Street Journal published exclusive information hours later explaining why Machado took longer than usual to arrive in Oslo on time to receive the award, which was ultimately given to his daughter Ana Corina Sosa.

According to the media outlet, the Venezuelan Nobel laureate left the country on Tuesday, December 9, by boat and traveled to the Caribbean island nation of Curaçao, according to US officials, in a secret effort to reach Norway and collect her Peace Prize. From hiding, María Corina Machado continues to promote denunciations, mobilizations, and a transition program; her leadership represents the hope of those seeking to rebuild democracy. | Photo: Colprensa

The opposition leader's allies worked to keep the trip out of the public eye in order to protect her safety.

The opposition leader was unable to collect her Nobel Peace Prize in person at Wednesday's ceremony, but said she would travel to Oslo, allaying concerns about her safety after the Nobel committee said it did not know her whereabouts.

In a telephone call with the chairman of the Nobel Committee, Jørgen Watne Frydnes, published on the Peace Prize website, Machado said that “many people” had risked their lives so that she could travel to Oslo.

“I am very grateful to you. And this is a demonstration of what this recognition means to the Venezuelan people,” she said, adding that she was about to board a plane.

“We feel very excited and very honored, and that is why I am very sad to tell you that I will not be able to arrive in time for the ceremony, but I will be in Oslo and I am heading to Oslo right now.”

Earlier, members of the Norwegian Nobel Committee gave some details as to why it would have been impossible for Machado to reach the European country, although they confirmed that she would arrive in Oslo later. “Nobel Peace Prize laureate María Corina Machado has done everything in her power to reach today’s ceremony. A journey under extremely dangerous circumstances. Although she will not be able to attend today’s ceremony and events, we are deeply pleased to confirm that she is safe and will be with us in Oslo,” the committee said in a statement.

The Norwegian Nobel Committee awarded the Nobel Peace Prize on October 10 to the opposition leader for her “tireless efforts” to promote rights and freedoms in Venezuela and to foster a “just and peaceful” transition from “dictatorship to democracy”.

María Corina Machado's daughter received the Nobel Peace Prize on behalf of her mother, the Venezuelan opposition leader. https://t.co/if1kX8q65f 🎥: AFP — Revista Semana (@RevistaSemana) December 10, 2025