Venezuelan Opposition leader and Nobel Peace Prize laureate María Corina Machado may be unable to attend the December 10 ceremony in Oslo, as travelling abroad could cause the Maduro government to classify her as a fugitive. The country’s Attorney General, Tarek William Saab, said she faces multiple criminal cases, including allegations of conspiracy, incitement of hatred and terrorism, and would therefore be deemed a fugitive if she leaves Venezuelan territory.
Machado has expressed a desire to travel to Norway to receive the award in person, but her legal situation has created a major obstacle. Saab also noted that she is under investigation for supporting the deployment of US military forces in the Caribbean, where President Donald Trump has positioned a large aircraft carrier and warships as part of Washington’s expanding anti-drug operations targeting the Maduro government. Caracas has dismissed the US actions as an attempt to topple the regime and described recent American strikes on alleged drug vessels—operations that have killed more than 80 people—as extrajudicial executions.
Machado has openly welcomed US military pressure and remains a prominent critic of President Nicolás Maduro. However, she has been living in hiding since August 2024, when Maduro claimed victory in a disputed election and launched a sweeping crackdown on the Opposition. In interviews, she has said that many of her allies have been arrested, exiled or forced underground, while she herself has endured more than a year of isolation.
With criminal charges pending and the threat of arrest looming, Machado now faces the likelihood of missing her Nobel ceremony unless the Venezuelan government grants safe passage or drops its accusations.
