Maria Corina Machado Could Be Declared Fugitive If She Leaves Venezuela For Nobel Prize

Venezuelan opposition leader and Nobel laureate Maria Corina Machado faces the risk of being declared a “fugitive” if she travels abroad to receive her peace prize, authorities have warned.

According to PTI, Venezuela’s Attorney General Tarek William Saab said on Thursday (November 20, 2025) that Ms. Machado, who says she is currently in hiding, would be considered a fugitive if she leaves the country for Oslo, where the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony is scheduled on December 10.

“By being outside Venezuela and having numerous criminal investigations, she is considered a fugitive,” Mr. Saab said, adding that Ms. Machado is accused of “acts of conspiracy, incitement of hatred, terrorism.” PTI reported that she is also under investigation for supporting the deployment of U.S. military forces in the Caribbean.

The United States, under President Donald Trump, has mobilised its largest aircraft carrier, warships and fighter jets, citing anti-drug operations. However, President Nicolas Maduro has claimed the deployment aims to topple his leftist government.

Ms. Machado has publicly welcomed the U.S. military presence, which has included strikes on alleged drug-trafficking boats that have reportedly killed at least 83 people in the Caribbean and Pacific. She has backed Washington’s assertion that Mr. Maduro heads a drug cartel, while Caracas describes the deaths as “extrajudicial executions,” PTI reported.

In a video posted on social media on Tuesday (November 18, 2025), Ms. Machado said Venezuela is “on the threshold of a new era.” Meanwhile, Mr. Trump has declared that Mr. Maduro’s days are numbered and stated he has authorised CIA clandestine operations in the country.

According to PTI, Ms. Machado has expressed her intention to travel to Oslo despite the ongoing investigations, highlighting the tense standoff between the opposition leader, the Venezuelan government, and U.S. military involvement.

(With inputs from PTI)