Protests Erupt in Oslo Against Nobel Win for María Corina Machado Amid her Absence from the Ceremony

Members of organizations focused on peace, solidarity, and human rights gathered today in front of the Norwegian Nobel Institute in Oslo to protest against the decision to award the Nobel Peace Prize 2025 to María Corina Machado, asserting that the far-right Venezuelan opposition figure «does not represent peace».

About a hundred protesters gathered in front of the building to express their belief that Machado is a candidate far removed from the ideals of Alfred Nobel—the Swedish chemist whose fortune established the Nobel Prizes—and the spirit of this award, which is given annually. They argue that she is a key ally in the U.S. pressure strategy against Venezuela, publicly supports a military intervention, and backs the over a thousand unilateral coercive measures imposed on the Caribbean nation, along with being linked to violent and destabilizing actions.

“María Corina Machado does not represent peace. She represents military aggression, imperialism, and interventionism. This award is a fraud in the context of the expansion of Western wars and military operations,” said a spokesperson from one of the international solidarity organizations present at the protest, speaking to TeleSUR.

This statement encapsulates the central feeling of the protest: the perception that the award has been politicized to support a figure associated with calls for foreign intervention in Venezuela, the promotion of economic sanctions, and political confrontation.

Internal Tensions in Norway

The awarding of the prize has sparked extensive debate within Norwegian society. While there are sectors familiar with the Venezuelan context and the roles of Bolivarian social movements, organizations present at the protest denounced that public opinion is “strongly influenced by U.S. media propaganda.”

According to sources consulted by teleSUR, the decision has also caused tensions within the Norwegian government, led by the social democrats. The controversy could expose an internal clash between Norway’s diplomatic tradition of peace and neutrality, reflected in the guest list for the ceremony, which is predominantly composed of right-wing parties.

Legal Action to Cancel Nobel Award for María Corina Machado

In response to the controversial awarding of the Nobel to the far-right Venezuelan, several civil organizations announced plans to initiate legal action seeking the cancellation of the award, utilizing available mechanisms in Sweden, where the Nobel Foundation is registered.

The legal argument is based on Alfred Nobel’s original will. The groups contend that María Corina Machado does not meet the criteria set by the founder, who stipulated that the prize should be awarded to «those who have worked most or best for fraternity between nations, the abolition or reduction of existing armies, and the holding and promotion of peace processes.”

Members of the social movements maintain that the political trajectory of the awardee is antithetical to these principles, given her open support for economic sanctions and calls for foreign military intervention in Venezuela.

Social movements in Oslo lead protest against María Corina Machado’s Nobel pic.twitter.com/BWpuJXDTSL

— teleSUR TV (@teleSURtv) December 9, 2025

Machado Absent from the Ceremony

While protests unfolded in Oslo, the Nobel Institute announced that the far-right Venezuelan would not be attending the ceremony to receive the award.

“The Nobel Peace Prize winner, María Corina Machado, has done everything possible to attend the ceremony today, despite an extremely dangerous situation. Although she will not be able to be present at the ceremony or today’s events, we are deeply pleased to confirm that she is safe and will be with us in Oslo,” the institute stated in a release.

Machado was slated to attend the ceremony at the Oslo City Hall, in the presence of King Harald, Queen Sonja, and representatives from the Latin American far-right, including the Presidents of Argentina, Javier Milei, and Ecuador, Daniel Noboa.

Speculation around the awardee’s presence had circulated during the preceding week, and early on Wednesday, it was reported that she would not attend the ceremony and that her whereabouts were unknown.

“Unfortunately, she is not in Norway and will not be on stage at Oslo City Hall at 1 p.m. when the ceremony begins,” Kristian Berg Harpkiven, director of the institute and permanent secretary of the selecting body, told the NRK broadcaster.

He noted that although Machado would not be present, her daughter, Ana Corina Sosa Machado, would receive the award and deliver a speech on her behalf, according to BBC Mundo.

The absence of the Venezuelan far-right representative from the ceremony in Oslo, far from pacifying criticism, added another layer of controversy.

The protest in Oslo is not an isolated incident, as it represents, according to the organizers, the outrage from a wide spectrum of social movements, pacifists, and solidarity groups worldwide. These sectors view this Nobel Peace Prize as a dangerous international endorsement of destabilization strategies and figures like Machado, who have contributed to political violence and the suffering of the Venezuelan people through the promotion of unilateral coercive measures.

*Featured image: TeleSUR.

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