Venezuelan Opposition Leader Maria Corina Machado's Dangerous Escape to Accept Nobel Peace Prize in Norway

Machado made her first public appearance on Thursday from the balcony of her Oslo hotel after a dangerous journey from Venezuela.

Norway welcomed Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado who reportedly undertook a perilous three-day escape from Venezuela to accept her Nobel Peace Prize. She traveled wearing a disguise and wig, navigating checkpoints while facing the constant threat of arrest.

After being smuggled out of her Caracas hiding place and crossing the Caribbean Sea on a fishing vessel to reach a waiting aircraft, the Nobel laureate finally arrived in Oslo. Early Thursday morning, she emerged to greet enthusiastic supporters from her hotel balcony.

Details of Machado's journey reveal the extraordinary measures taken to ensure her safe passage to Norway.

Uncertainty surrounded Machado's attendance at the Nobel ceremony. On November 6, the Nobel Institute informed AFP that she would personally accept her Nobel Peace Prize at Wednesday's ceremony. However, a traditional pre-ceremony press conference was initially confirmed, then postponed, and ultimately canceled.

Nobel Institute Director Kristian Berg Harpviken admitted he "simply" did not know her whereabouts. Hours before the ceremony, the institute announced that Machado would not attend and her daughter Ana Corina would accept on her behalf.

In an unexpected turn, the institute later revealed that Machado would arrive in Oslo by Thursday after completing "a journey in a situation of extreme danger."

Machado made her first public appearance Thursday at 2:00 am (0100 GMT) from her Oslo hotel balcony, where dozens of jubilant supporters cheered her for several minutes. She had last been seen publicly on January 9 in Caracas, protesting Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro's inauguration for his third term.

While Machado has not detailed her escape route, The Wall Street Journal reported she began her journey on Monday wearing a wig and disguise. She departed from her hideout in a Caracas suburb where she had been living since August 2024, following the election in which she was barred from running.

Two assistants helped her flee. The group reportedly passed through ten military checkpoints during a tense 10-hour journey before reaching a coastal fishing village around midnight.

They then embarked on a dangerous voyage across the open Caribbean Sea to Curacao in a wooden fishing skiff. According to the WSJ, the US military was informed of her crossing to prevent the boat from being targeted. Machado later confirmed receiving US support for her escape.

Upon reaching Curacao around 3:00 pm Tuesday, she was met by a private contractor specializing in extractions who was reportedly supplied by the Trump administration. After an overnight hotel stay, she boarded a private jet to Oslo early Wednesday.

"I want to thank all those men and women who risked their lives so that I could be here today. One day I will be able to tell you because certainly I don't want to put them at risk right now," she stated during a press conference with Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store on Thursday.

Regarding her future plans, Machado vowed Thursday to return to Venezuela. "I will not say when that is or how it's going to be," she explained, adding that she wanted "to end with this tyranny very soon and have a free Venezuela."

Venezuelan authorities have accused her of "acts of conspiracy, incitement of hatred, terrorism" and warned she would be considered a "fugitive" if she traveled to Oslo to accept the Peace Prize awarded for her "struggle" for democracy.

She acknowledged that being in opposition in Venezuela and challenging Maduro is "very dangerous."

While Machado has been praised for her pro-democracy efforts, she has also faced criticism for aligning herself with US President Donald Trump, to whom she has dedicated her Nobel Prize. Maduro has accused Washington of attempting to oust him to seize Venezuela's oil reserves.