Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado faces the possibility of being declared a fugitive if she travels abroad to accept the Nobel Peace Prize, the country’s Attorney General warned.
Tarek William Saab told the French news agency AFP that Machado, who says she is currently in hiding in Venezuela, would be considered “a fugitive” if she leaves the country while under investigation for alleged crimes including conspiracy, incitement of hatred, and terrorism.
Machado has expressed her intention to travel to Norway to receive the prestigious award. Saab also noted that over 100 individuals, described as mercenaries from more than 30 nationalities and allegedly linked to the CIA, are being pursued by Venezuelan authorities.
The tension between Machado and President Nicolás Maduro has intensified since the disputed 2024 elections, which Maduro won, securing a third consecutive six-year term. Machado and many international observers, including the United States and several Latin American governments, have not recognized the election results.
In a mid-October interview with AFP, Machado expressed confidence that Maduro would eventually leave office, “with or without negotiation.”
