María Corina Machado’s daughter, upon receiving the Nobel Peace Prize: ‘Democracy is essential for peace’

A deafening silence fell over Oslo City Hall at 1 p.m. The audience rose from their seats. The members of the Norwegian Nobel Committee took their places on the podium. And the trumpets began to sound in a solemn and triumphant tone to announce that the moment had finally arrived. Amid enormous anticipation, María Corina Machado, the main symbol of the Venezuelan opposition and the most uncomfortable figure for Nicolás Maduro’s government, was recognized on Wednesday with the Nobel Peace Prize “for her tireless work in promoting the democratic rights of the Venezuelan people and for her struggle to achieve a peaceful and just transition from dictatorship to democracy.” Machado, the main protagonist of the gala, was also the notable absentee. The 58-year-old opposition leader managed to leave Venezuela after being confined to hiding for 16 months, but she was unable to make it to Norway in time to receive the most important award of her political career in person.

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