Panamanian President to Attend Nobel Peace Prize Ceremony Honoring Venezuelan Opposition Leader
Panamanian President José Raúl Mulino has announced he will attend the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony in Oslo, norway on December 10th, where Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado will be honored.Mulino described the event as “a great honor” and a “great prospect” to support Machado, whom he called “a woman symbol of the tenacious fight against a dictatorship” representing the “people of Venezuela oppressed, humiliated and impoverished.”
Mulino stated he will travel to the Norwegian capital next Sunday afternoon, returning to Panama very late Thursday night following the Wednesday ceremony. He previously announced on November 20th his intention to accompany Machado, expressing his hope that she would be able to attend.
Machado has thanked Mulino, as well as Paraguayan President Santiago Peña and US Congresswoman María Elvira Salazar, for accepting invitations to the event. The norwegian Nobel committee has confirmed Machado will travel to Oslo to receive the prize.
Though, Jørgen Watne Frydnes, a leader of the Nobel Committee, has expressed concern about the safety of Machado’s journey, noting the Venezuelan regime has indicated a desire to prevent her from attending. He emphasized the need to guarantee her security both traveling to and from Norway.
Machado was awarded the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize on October 10th “for her tireless work in promoting the democratic rights of the venezuelan people and for her fight to achieve a just and peaceful transition from dictatorship to democracy.” The committee highlighted her role as a unifying figure within the Venezuelan opposition, demanding free and representative elections.
