Dismantling Dictatorship: Insights from the 2026 Oslo Freedom Forum
June 8, 2026
Last week, Isabelle Hirs-Schaller, Managing Director of the Freedom Practice at the Rising Tide Foundation, attended the 2026 Oslo Freedom Forum. Hosted annually by the Human Rights Foundation (HRF), the forum brings together dissidents, lawyers, and freedom fighters to counter authoritarianism. This year’s theme, “Dismantling Dictatorship,” focused on the practicalities of ending authoritarian rule.
The Oslo Freedom Forum is a conference for people defending freedom on the ground. The presence of the Rising Tide Foundation and our grantees at the center of these conversations signals a core principle: classical liberal philanthropy must go beyond funding abstract ideas and instead fund projects that put these ideas into action.
The Rising Tide Foundation supports HRF’s impact litigation worldwide. The Forum highlighted in different sessions how essential impact litigation is in combating authoritarianism as it helps to shift the legal record, protects civil society, and build the framework for future accountability.
Another key focus of the forum was the political shift in Venezuela, highlighted by Maria Corina Machado’s address, “Trusts Her People. Leads the Future.” Rather than a retrospective on survival, Machado argued that Venezuela’s democratic transition is a process already underway, driven by the Venezuelan people.
Machado’s background is well known. A longtime critic of the regime, she won the 2023 opposition primary with over 90% of the vote, was barred from office, and went into hiding after the fraudulent 2024 election. She received the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize for her peaceful defence of democracy. Following the capture of Nicolás Maduro in January 2026 and Delcy Rodríguez’s assumption of interim power, Machado has led the international campaign for free elections.
Machado’s team has highlighted that Venezuelan freedom fighters are not just organizing against the regime; they are actively designing the future. They are building independent institutions, talent pipelines, press freedom, and economic foundations.
This focus on structural building in Venezuela aligns with our new funding initiative. Last month, the Rising Tide Foundation launched the Venezuela Rising Fund in direct response to the latest developments in the country. The Venezuela Rising Fund comprises $1.5 million in commitments to institutional reform, the return of diaspora talent, press freedom, entrepreneurship, education, and economic modernisation.
The Forum confirmed that RTF’s funding strategy reflects the reality on the ground. The most effective actors in Venezuela are not waiting for a formal transition to be declared; they are already building the infrastructure of a free society now.