OSLO — The daughter of Venezuela’s opposition leader María Corina Machado spoke of the country’s fight for democracy as she accepted this year’s Nobel Peace Prize in Norway on behalf of her mother, who was unable to attend the event in person.

The Nobel Peace Prize laureate, who lives in hiding, had been expected to attend Wednesday’s acceptance ceremony in Oslo, in defiance of a decade-long travel ban placed on her.

Statements on Wednesday suggested she would still be in Oslo at some point despite not attending the ceremony.

In an audio recording released by the Norwegian Nobel Institute before the ceremony was due to start, Machado said, “I will be in Oslo, I am on my way to Oslo right now.”

Earlier, her representatives said, “We confirm that she will not attend the Nobel ceremony, but we are optimistic about her participation in the rest of the day’s events.”

Organizers said she had “done everything in her power to attend today’s ceremony” but that “her journey involved extreme danger.”

The statement added, “Although she will not be able to attend the ceremony or today’s events, we are deeply relieved to confirm that she is safe and will be joining us in Oslo.”

Machado received the accolade for tirelessly promoting democratic rights in Venezuela and “for her struggle to achieve a just and peaceful transition from dictatorship to democracy,” the Norwegian Nobel Committee said. — CNN