Venezuela’s attorney general has declared that opposition leader María Corina Machado will be considered a “fugitive from justice” if she travels to Norway to accept her Nobel Peace Prize. The move intensifies the government’s campaign against the 58-year-old activist, who is accused of “conspiracy, incitement of hatred, and terrorism.”
Machado, a longtime critic of President Nicolás Maduro’s government, was awarded the prestigious prize in October for her efforts toward a “peaceful transition from dictatorship to democracy.” She has been living in hiding to avoid arrest after being barred from running in last year’s presidential election, a contest widely condemned internationally as neither free nor fair.
The Nobel Committee hailed Machado as “one of the most extraordinary examples of civilian courage in Latin America,” with chairman Jørgen Watne Frydnes expressing hope she could attend the December 10 ceremony while acknowledging the “serious security situation” she faces.
The government’s threat comes amid heightened tensions with the United States, whose President Donald Trump congratulated Machado on her award. Attorney General Tarik William Saab also cited Machado’s alleged support for US military operations in the Caribbean as grounds for investigation.
In response, Machado continues to advocate for democratic change, recently releasing a “freedom manifesto” in which she outlined her vision for a post-Maduro Venezuela and encouraged the military to switch allegiances. “We stand at the edge of a new era,” she declared, even as the government moves to prevent her from receiving one of the world’s highest honors.
By James Kisoo
