Nobel Peace Prize laureate Maria Corina Machado said on Thursday (December 11) she was taking one day at the time after leaving Venezuela in great secrecy to receive the honour in Oslo.

Venezuelan opposition leader Machado arrived in Oslo in the early hours of Thursday, failing to reach the Norwegian capital in time for the prize ceremony held hours earlier.

The 58-year-old engineer had secretly left Venezuela for Oslo in defiance of a decade-long travel ban imposed by authorities and after spending more than a year in hiding.

She said she had not made many plans for her trip since it was fraught with uncertainty.

Her appearance in Norway comes amid soaring tensions between Venezuela and the United States with the Trump administration having ordered more than 20 military strikes in recent months against alleged drug-trafficking vessels in the region.

She also told the news conference that Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro's rule would come to an end and there was a need to prepare a transition in her country.

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VIDEO SHOWS: NOBEL PEACE PRIZE LAUREATE MARIA CORINA MACHADO AT NEWS CONFERENCE

RESENDING WITH COMPLETE SCRIPT

SHOWS: OSLO, NORWAY (DECEMBER 11, 2025)(REUTERS – Access all)

1. NOBEL PEACE PRIZE LAUREATE, MARIA CORINA MACHADO ARRIVING TO THE

NEWS CONFERENCE, SITTING NEXT TO CHAIR OF THE NORWEGIAN NOBEL COMMITTEE, JOERGEN WATNE FRYDNES

2. SECRETARY OF THE NORWEGIAN NOBEL COMMITTEE, KRISTIAN BERG HARPVIKEN, WELCOMING MACHADO

3. (SOUNDBITE)(English) NOBEL PEACE PRIZE LAUREATE, MARIA CORINA MACHADO, SAYING, ON WHAT HER PLANS ARE:

“Thank you very much. I've been hearing several suggestions about that in the last hours and getting quite a few invitations. But to be absolutely honest, I'm taking one day at a time. There was great uncertainty if I was able to come. So I had not made many plans. So now that I'm here, I certainly want to spend a few hours with my colleagues, friends and my children. I should make one or two visits to the doctors, different doctors. After all, it's been more than a year and a half. Certain things I should take care about. And yes, there are some meetings that I believe could be very useful that I do before I go back home.”

4. NEWS CONFERENCE IN PROGRESS

5. (SOUNDBITE)(English) NOBEL PEACE PRIZE LAUREATE, MARIA CORINA MACHADO, SAYING:

“I want to assure you that very talented, experienced and honest professionals within Venezuela and abroad are working together and we have the plans and teams ready to take control on day one.”

6. NEWS CONFERENCE IN PROGRESS

7. (SOUNDBITE)(English) NOBEL PEACE PRIZE LAUREATE, MARIA CORINA MACHADO, SAYING, ON DECISION TO COME TO OSLO:

“It was a decision that we reflected on extensively. Of course, some people that love me and cared for me thought it was not necessary. On the contrary, I think it was one of the most important and urgent decisions I had to make. I had to be here. And I believe that the risk, even though it was very high, was worthwhile. And of course, the risk of going back, perhaps it's higher, but it's always worthwhile. And I'll be back in Venezuela, I have no doubt.”

8. NEWS CONFERENCE IN PROGRESS

9. (SOUNDBITE)(English) NOBEL PEACE PRIZE LAUREATE, MARIA CORINA MACHADO, SAYING:

“Well, we are not involved at all in the decisions or operations that regard the national security of other countries.”

10. NEWS CONFERENCE IN PROGRESS

11. (SOUNDBITE)(English) NOBEL PEACE PRIZE LAUREATE, MARIA CORINA MACHADO, SAYING:

“I believe every country has the right to defend themselves. And in our case, I believe that (U.S.) President (Donald) Trump's actions have been decisive to reach the point where we are right now, in which the regime is weaker than ever.”

12. NEWS CONFERENCE IN PROGRESS

13. (SOUNDBITE)(English) NOBEL PEACE PRIZE LAUREATE, MARIA CORINA MACHADO, SAYING:

“She (a journalist) asked me if I knew about President Trump's ultimatum and if I had received support and I said that I have no information regarding the first issue and that I had affirmed that we did get support from the U.S. government in order to arrive in Oslo.”

14. NEWS CONFERENCE IN PROGRESS

15. (SOUNDBITE)(English) NOBEL PEACE PRIZE LAUREATE, MARIA CORINA MACHADO, SAYING:

“She (a journalist) asked me if I was planning to run for president and I said that one day at a time.”

16. MACHADO SEEN ON CAMERA DISPLAY

17. MACHADO GETTING UP TO LEAVE