Venezuelan opposition leader and Nobel Peace Prize laureate María Corina Machado will not attend Wednesday’s ceremony in Oslo, according to Norwegian broadcaster NRK, deepening concerns about her safety as her whereabouts remain unknown. Machado has been living in hiding for more than a year due to persecution by the government of President Nicolás Maduro.

Kristian Berg Harpviken, director of the Norwegian Nobel Institute, confirmed that Machado “is not in Norway now, and will not be on stage in Oslo.” Her daughter is expected to attend the ceremony on her behalf and deliver her mother’s acceptance speech.

The Norwegian Nobel Committee selected Machado for “her tireless promotion of democratic rights in Venezuela” and her efforts to drive “a just and peaceful transition from dictatorship to democracy.” Her inability to appear in person has turned this year’s award into a stark reminder of the political repression that continues in Venezuela.

A Nobel overshadowed by political exile

Machado’s absence underscores the escalating threats she faces. In October, Jørgen Watne Frydnes, chair of the Nobel Committee, acknowledged that her attendance was uncertain due to serious security risks. “We always hope to have the laureate with us in Oslo, but this is a serious security situation that must be addressed first,” he said.

Trump escalates rhetoric: “Maduro’s days are numbered”

The uncertainty surrounding Machado comes as U.S. President Donald Trump intensifies pressure on Caracas. In an interview with Politico, Trump declared that Maduro “has his days numbered,” refusing to rule out possible U.S. military actions, including a ground operation in Venezuela. He insisted he would not reveal operational intentions publicly, but warned that Washington’s strategy toward Venezuela remains aggressive and fluid.

Trump also accused Maduro of sending “millions of people, many from prisons, many drug traffickers” to the United States, while defending the deployment of U.S. troops and a carrier strike group to the Caribbean. He suggested that similar pressure tactics could be expanded to Mexico and Colombia, citing fentanyl trafficking concerns.

Separately, CNN reported that the Trump administration is quietly crafting contingency plans for a post-Maduro scenario, with classified documents outlining options for stabilizing Venezuela if the regime collapses—whether through a negotiated exit or direct U.S. action targeting strategic sites inside the country.

According to sources familiar with the planning, U.S. officials have not agreed on a final course of action, and internal disagreements persist over the scope and risks of potential military or covert operations.

Venezuela at a critical turning point

Machado’s disappearance from the public eye, the intensifying U.S. pressure campaign, and Maduro’s tightening grip on power place Venezuela at one of the most volatile junctures in recent years. What should have been a historic moment in Oslo now highlights a deepening national crisis.

As Machado’s daughter steps onto the Nobel stage, the central question remains: where is María Corina Machado, and what lies ahead for Venezuela’s political future?