Nobel Peace Prize Winner’s Escape from Venezuela

Nobel Peace Prize recipient Maria Colina Machado announced on Thursday that the administration of former U.S. President Donald Trump played a crucial role in her escape from Venezuela to Norway.

Machado arrived in Oslo after more than a year in hiding due to threats from the socialist government led by Maduro. An arrest warrant had been issued against her on suspicions of “treason,” and officials had previously forbidden her from leaving the country.

The Venezuelan opposition leader was supposed to receive the Nobel Peace Prize on Wednesday, but she couldn’t attend the ceremony. Instead, her daughter, Ana Colina Sosa Machado, accepted the award on her behalf and later delivered it to Maria Colina Machado. A few hours after the ceremony, Machado reunited with her family.

On Thursday morning, she conducted her first two press conferences since leaving Venezuela. One was alongside Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, and the other was shortly after with the Nobel Peace Prize Committee.

During her second press conference, Machado confirmed that she had received U.S. assistance in her escape, although she refrained from sharing specific details. “I can’t go into specifics because, for reasons you mentioned, there are people who could be at risk. Sure, the administration likely did everything in their power to help me leave,” she remarked.

She further elaborated, “They didn’t know my exact location while I was hiding in Venezuela. It was tough to find me. But yes, we did receive support from the U.S. government.”

In another part of the discussion, she stated in Spanish that she had indeed received U.S. help to travel to Oslo and reiterated, “The answer is yes.” However, she didn’t provide specific details about how she managed to leave Venezuela with this assistance.

According to sources, Machado began her escape on Monday afternoon, using disguises to navigate through ten military checkpoints before reaching a boat bound for Curaçao. From there, she eventually flew to Norway on a private jet. Details suggest that the operation had been planned for around two months by a Venezuelan network that assists others in fleeing the country. This group reportedly informed the U.S. military about the operation before it took place.

On the way to Curaçao, U.S. Navy F-18s were seen in the Gulf of Venezuela, tracking the route which indicates that the Trump administration was aware of the operation, although the extent of involvement wasn’t clear.

Machado reached Curaçao on Tuesday afternoon and was met by a private contractor skilled in extraction. After spending a night in a hotel, she traveled to Norway on an executive jet arranged by an associate in Miami.

At her first press conference with Prime Minister Støre, a reporter referenced a recent event involving a U.S.-licensed oil tanker seized near Venezuela. When asked if she supported U.S. military intervention in her country, Machado replied that foreign powers like Russia, Iran, and terrorist groups had already invaded Venezuela, which she labeled the “criminal capital of the Americas.”

She emphasized that Venezuelans are facing grave threats, stating, “People mention invasions, but I say this: Venezuela has already been invaded. There are Russian and Iranian agents, and terrorist organizations like Hezbollah and Hamas operate freely under the regime.”

Machado urged the international community to undermine Maduro’s oppressive regime by cutting off funding sources from drug trafficking, human trafficking, and the illegal oil market. “We call on the global community to stop these flows, as Maduro and others supporting criminal organizations have made Venezuela a safe haven for their activities across Latin America,” she said.