Maria Corina Machado secretly traveled to Norway last week to collect her Nobel Peace Prize and has since left Oslo, her spokesperson says. She reportedly fractured a vertebra while fleeing Venezuela by boat and was examined at Oslo University Hospital. U.S. media say her escape included a disguise, a stop in Curaçao and a private flight to Norway; U.S. forces in the Caribbean were alerted during the voyage. Machado remains intent on returning to Venezuela despite a decade-long travel ban and being barred from the July 24 presidential election.
Maria Corina Machado Secretly Leaves Oslo After Risky Escape To Collect Nobel Peace Prize
Nobel Peace Prize laureate and Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado appears in Oslo, Norway, after an audience at the Royal Palace [File: AFP]
Maria Corina Machado, the Venezuelan opposition leader and Nobel Peace Prize recipient, has left Oslo after traveling to Norway in secret last week to collect the award, her spokesperson said.
The spokesperson said Machado fractured a vertebra while fleeing Venezuela by boat en route to the ceremony. She was examined by doctors at Oslo University Hospital and "is doing well and is currently attending medical appointments with a specialist to ensure her prompt and full recovery," the spokesperson added. He confirmed she was no longer in Oslo but declined to disclose her current location.
Reported Escape Route
According to U.S. media reports, Machado’s escape involved disguises — including a wig — and a risky maritime journey from a small Venezuelan fishing village on a wooden boat to the Caribbean island of Curaçao, followed by a private flight to Norway. U.S. forces stationed in the Caribbean were reportedly alerted during the voyage, authorities said.
Political Context
Machado traveled to Norway in defiance of a decade-long travel ban imposed by Venezuelan authorities and after spending more than a year in hiding. She arrived too late to attend the official Nobel Peace Prize ceremony.
She has been in hiding since being barred from running in Venezuela’s July 24 presidential election, saying she feared for her life because of threats from President Nicolás Maduro. Maduro has repeatedly accused Washington of seeking to engineer regime change in Venezuela to seize control of the country’s oil reserves.
Outlook
Machado has previously said she intends to return to Venezuela. Her spokesperson’s statement emphasized her ongoing medical follow-up and recovery as she continues to plan her next steps amid the political and legal restrictions she faces at home.
"She is doing well and is currently attending medical appointments with a specialist to ensure her prompt and full recovery," the spokesperson said.
