Maria Corina Machado is the lynchpin of opposition to Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro's regime, a fearless activist with rock star appeal whose inability to attend her own Nobel prize ceremony underlined the dangers she faces.

Hailed as "la libertadora," in an allusion to Venezuela's historic independence hero Simon "The Liberator" Bolivar, Machado was given the Nobel Peace Prize on Wednesday.

But it was her daughter Ana Corina Sosa Machado who attended the ceremony in Oslo and read out the acceptance speech from the opposition leader declaring Venezuelans ready to "fight for freedom."

Machado, 58, was barred from challenging Maduro in July 2024 elections and went into hiding after the vote, which the opposition and much of the international community accuses Maduro of stealing.

Bu

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