Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado missed Wednesday's Nobel Peace Prize ceremony, but provided a last-minute surprise by announcing that she is in fact on her way to Oslo despite threats from the ruling Socialist government in Caracas warning that she would make herself a fugitive if she "fled" Venezuela.

"Although she will not be able to reach the ceremony and today's events, we are profoundly happy to confirm that she is safe and that she will be with us in Oslo," the Norwegian Nobel Institute said.

She is expected to give a speech on Thursday morning, Norwegian government officials said.

Machado's daughter Ana Corina Sosa Machado accepted the Nobel Peace Prize on her behalf and delivered remarks that her mother had written for the occasion.

"It reminds the world that democracy is essential to peace," read the remarks. "And the most important lesson Venezuelans can share with the world is a lesson forged on a long and difficult path: If we want democracy, we must be prepared to fight for freedom." 

"Freedom," she said, "is conquered every day as long as we are ready to fight for her. This is the reason why the cause of Venezuela transcends our borders. A people that chooses to be free not only liberates itself, it contributes to the whole of humanity."

Christopher Sabatini, Latin America expert at the Chatham House think tank in London, told DW that the speech by Machado's daughter "expressed optimism in the future."

"It did of course highlight the abuses of the regime, especially after the stolen election. But it also talked about hope. It talked about restoring Venezuela to what it was," Sabatini said.

"It talked about reaching out to all Venezuelans and that the prize was really given to all Venezuelans," he added.

Why is Machado not attending the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony?

Machado has appeared in public only once since going underground in August last year during a tense standoff with President Nicolas Maduro. 

Venezuela's attorney general warned that the 58-year-old would be considered a fugitive if she left the country to pick up the award.

Uncertainty lingered over Machado's plans until the Nobel Institute said she was due in Oslo but would not attend the ceremony, scheduled for 1 p.m. CET (1200 GMT).

Machado won an opposition primary in 2024 and intended to challenge Maduro, but the government barred her from running for office. Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia became the opposition candidate after Machado was disqualified from running. Machado said Maduro stole the election from Urrutia.

Machado has not appeared in public for 11 months and was last seen during a protest in the Venezuelan capital, Caracas, against Maduro. 

Why was Machado awarded the Nobel Peace Prize?

Machado was chosen as this year's winner of the prize for her efforts toward "a just and peaceful transition from dictatorship to democracy" in Venezuela.

Sabatini said the accolade was "long overdue" and that recognized "one of the most monumental efforts" an opposition movement has led against an entrenched autocracy.

Machado went into hiding after elections that granted Maduro a third term — results not recognized by the United States, the European Union or several Latin American governments.

The Nobel Institute had said over the weekend that Machado would receive the award in person — which includes a gold medal, diploma and $1.2 million (€1 million) — and had scheduled a press conference and media interviews on Wednesday — later all were canceled.

Exiled Venezuelans, including Urrutia, and the presidents of Argentina, Panama, Ecuador and Paraguay had already arrived in Oslo for the ceremony. 

Speaking of the demise of rights in her country, Machado's Nobel Prize remarks referenced the course of Venezuelan history since the 1999 election of socialist Hugo Chavez: "When the ringleader of a military coup against democracy was elected president, many thought that charisma could substitute the rule of law."

"When we understood how fragile our institutions had become," Machado said, "it was already too late."

Sabatini noted that for decades, Venezuelans have been "trying to convince the world of the cruelty of the Maduro and the Chavez administration." 

"And quite frankly, it took a long time for the world to pay attention," he added.

Edited by: Louis Oelofse