Ana Corina Sosa Machado, who accepted the Nobel Peace Prize on behalf of her mother María Corina Machado, called Venezuela’s government a "criminal network" lacking "humanity" after reuniting with her in Oslo. She described the reunion as emotional and surreal and said her mother risked her life to escape years of threats. Machado highlighted the urgent human-rights crisis in Venezuela, citing 887 political prisoners, including a 16-year-old girl and a former mayor allegedly denied medical care while detained, and urged continued international pressure to secure their release.
After Emotional Oslo Reunion, Nobel Laureate’s Daughter Calls Venezuelan Regime a “Criminal Network”
Ana Corina Sosa Machado, daughter of Nobel Peace Prize laureate María Corina Machado, delivered a forceful rebuke of Venezuela’s government in an exclusive interview with ABC News Live after reuniting with her mother in Oslo. Ana Corina accepted the Nobel honor on behalf of her mother, who recently fled Venezuela and arrived in Norway following a dangerous, clandestine journey.
Speaking with ABC correspondent Ike Ejiochi, Machado described the reunion as deeply emotional and almost surreal. She said the family had long envisioned this day without knowing when—or if—it would arrive. For years, her mother lived under constant, grave threats while in hiding, she added, a fate shared by many Venezuelans.
"This is not a normal dictatorship. This is a criminal network that has no humanity," Ana Corina Machado said, condemning the regime and highlighting the risks her mother took to reach Oslo.
Although María Corina Machado could not attend the Nobel ceremony in person, Ana Corina said her absence underscored the regime’s brutality and drew global attention to the dangers faced by dissidents. She described the recent days in Oslo as a rare chance for ordinary family moments: walking under Christmas lights, feeling the cold, and enjoying a sense of normalcy her mother had not known in more than a decade.
Human Rights and Political Prisoners
Machado emphasized that the Nobel recognition was meant to honor the Venezuelan people and their struggle for freedom. Central to her message was the plight of political prisoners. She said Venezuela currently holds 887 political prisoners detained in facilities where many endure torture. Among them, she highlighted the case of a 16-year-old girl reportedly imprisoned, and cited a recent incident in which a former mayor died after allegedly being denied medical care while in detention.
"We cannot call ourselves a free country while people are being tortured and denied dignity," she said, arguing that the repression extends beyond political rivals to their families and communities. Machado urged the international community to see these abuses as fundamental human-rights violations rather than merely partisan disputes.
Appeal to the World
Ana Corina Machado called for sustained international pressure to secure the release of those detained and to protect human rights in Venezuela. She framed the struggle as one for dignity and the right to freedom, warning that "every day that passes is another Venezuelan political prisoner who risks dying under the hands of the regime."
The interview reinforced concerns about human-rights abuses in Venezuela and underscored the personal toll political repression takes on families. With the Nobel spotlight on María Corina Machado, Ana Corina hopes the international community will maintain focus on political prisoners and the broader fight to restore democratic freedoms in Venezuela.
