María Corina Machado, the Venezuelan opposition leader who has been in hiding for months, appeared in public for the first time since January, defying a travel ban and government threats to personally receive her Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo. In an exclusive interview with the BBC, she stated she knows “exactly the risks” she is taking.
Her dramatic, covert journey culminated in the early hours of Thursday, when she emerged on the balcony of Oslo’s Grand Hotel. Waving and blowing kisses to hundreds of cheering supporters gathered below, she later climbed over security barricades to greet them in person, a moment met with chants of her name and held-aloft phones.
Earlier that day, her daughter, Ana Corina Sosa, had accepted the prestigious award on her behalf. Machado was honored for “her struggle to achieve a just and peaceful transition from dictatorship to democracy” in Venezuela.
In an emotional interview with the BBC’s Lucy Hockings following her appearance, Machado described the profound personal cost of her activism. She had not seen her children in nearly two years, having sent them abroad for safety, missing graduations and weddings.
“For over 16 months I haven’t been able to hug or touch anyone,” she said. “Suddenly in the matter of a few hours I’ve been able to see the people I love the most, and touch them and cry and pray together.” During the interview, she wore many rosary beads given to her by supporters outside the hotel—symbols of the faith and personal risk entwined in her journey.
By James Kisoo
