Venezuelan Opposition Leader Escapes, Receives Nobel Peace Prize

A private American rescue team, Grey Bull Rescue Foundation, led by Bryan Stern, a U.S. special forces veteran, successfully extracted Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado from Venezuela and transported her to Norway to receive the Nobel Peace Prize. The operation took 15-16 hours, mostly spent in rough seas, and involved around two dozen people directly and many more indirectly. Machado had been in hiding for almost a year, fearing persecution by the Maduro regime. The operation was funded by private donors and involved unofficial collaboration with the U.S. military. Stern described the operation as one of the most challenging and rewarding, and expressed admiration for Machado, calling her a 'hero of mine' and 'a tough-as-nails, hard-as-woodpecker-lips woman.' Machado plans to return to Venezuela despite Stern's advice against it.

Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado made her first public appearance in 11 months in Norway, waving to supporters at a hotel in Oslo's capital hours after her daughter accepted the Nobel Peace Prize on her behalf. Machado had been in hiding since January 9 after being briefly detained during a protest in Caracas. She escaped Venezuela via the Dutch-controlled island of Curaçao and traveled to Oslo, where her daughter accepted the Nobel Peace Prize. The prize was awarded to Machado for her work promoting democratic rights in Venezuela and her struggle for a peaceful transition from dictatorship to democracy. Machado's daughter stated that she would return to Venezuela soon, and the Norwegian Nobel committee chair expressed happiness that Machado was safe and in Oslo.

Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado was awarded the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize for her work promoting democratic rights and her struggle for a peaceful transition from dictatorship to democracy. Due to being in hiding, her daughter Ana Corina Sosa Machado accepted the prize on her behalf in Oslo, Norway. In her speech, Ana Corina read out María Corina's message, highlighting Venezuela's history, the erosion of democracy, and the ongoing struggle for freedom. María Corina is expected to reunite with her family in Oslo and then return to Venezuela.

Nobel Peace Prize winner María Corina Machado discusses her experience in hiding in Venezuela before traveling to Oslo to receive the award. Machado, a Venezuelan opposition leader, had been in hiding for nearly a year before making a public appearance and defying a travel ban to attend the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony. CNN's Pau Mosquera reports from Oslo, where Machado spoke about her situation.

Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado appeared in public for the first time in 11 months in Oslo, Norway, where her daughter accepted the Nobel Peace Prize on her behalf. Machado had been in hiding since January 9 after being briefly detained for joining supporters in Caracas. The appearance comes amid heightened tensions between the US and Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro's government, with the US seizing a Venezuelan oil tanker and Trump stating that Maduro's 'days are numbered'. Machado has been outspoken in her support for the Trump administration's actions against Maduro's regime and has dedicated the Nobel Peace Prize to both Trump and the 'suffering people of Venezuela'.

Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado revealed that her daring escape from Venezuela to Oslo involved help from the US. Machado was reportedly disguised and took a wooden fishing boat to the Caribbean island of Curacao before flying by private jet to Norway. She confirmed that the US was involved in her journey but refused to disclose further details to protect those who risked their lives to help her. Machado expressed her need for international help to bring back democracy to Venezuela and was vague about her next movements. She plans to return to Venezuela when the time is right, regardless of whether Nicolas Maduro is still in power.

Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, a Nobel Peace Prize winner, stated that Venezuela has 'already been invaded' by various foreign entities and criminal groups, when asked about potential US intervention. Machado cited the presence of Russian and Iranian agents, terrorist groups like Hezbollah and Hamas, Colombian guerrillas, and drug cartels operating in Venezuela. She emphasized that these groups are involved in drug trafficking, human trafficking, and other illicit activities, turning Venezuela into a 'criminal hub.' Machado's comments came after the US seized an oil tanker off Venezuela's coast, part of the Trump administration's efforts to pressure the Venezuelan government.