OSLO – The President of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, Jørgen Watne Frydnes, used the stage of the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony to deliver a direct and unprecedented message to Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, calling on him to accept the election results and resign.
Speaking during the award ceremony, Frydnes stated: “Mr. Maduro, you must accept the electoral results and step down from office. You must lay the groundwork for a peaceful transition to democracy, because that is the will of the Venezuelan people.”
Frydnes also praised Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado and the democratic movement she represents. “María Corina Machado and the Venezuelan opposition have ignited a flame that no torture, no lies and no fear will ever be able to extinguish,” he said.
The strong statement came amid continued uncertainty over Machado’s whereabouts. While the Nobel Committee initially indicated that she was on her way to Oslo, it has since become unclear where she is currently located. Machado did not appear at the ceremony, and the award was accepted on her behalf by her daughter.
Machado was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her role in leading the democratic opposition in Venezuela, at a time when the country remains mired in political repression and disputed election outcomes. The comments by the Nobel Committee’s president underscore the international pressure mounting on the Maduro government and signal strong support for a peaceful and democratic transition in Venezuela.