Mr. Speaker, on what should have been the proudest moment of her life, Maria Corina Machado was not even there. Unable to attend the ceremony after months of hiding and fighting the regime in Venezuela, her daughter accepted the Nobel Peace Prize on her behalf. Quoting her mother, she said, “our journey towards freedom has always lived inside us. We are returning to ourselves. We are returning home.”
For years, Venezuela's iron lady has boldly opposed the socialist Maduro dictatorship and the economic collapse it has engendered and inflicted on the once proud and free nation. At great personal cost to herself, Machado has inspired millions both in her country and around the world. The Nobel Prize awarded for her tireless work promoting democratic rights for the Venezuelan people is, therefore, a victory not only for herself but for all of those who have suffered under decades of socialism.
May we all be inspired by her courage and determination to stand up for freedom over socialism and for the people all around the world.