Nobel Peace Prize laureate Maria Corina Machado, who has been living in hiding in Venezuela, traveled to Oslo, Norway to accept the honor and said she would do anything to return to her native country and end “tyranny”.
Speaking briefly from her hotel balcony in Oslo, Maria Machado said: “I have come to accept the award on behalf of the Venezuelan people and at the right moment I will take it back to Venezuela.
Machado did not say when he would return. “I’m not going to say when it will be or how it will be,” she noted, but added that she wants “to end this tyranny very soon and have a free Venezuela.”
The 58-year-old missed the awards ceremony on Wednesday, December 10.
Venezuelan authorities said Machado could become a “fugitive” if she traveled to Oslo to accept the award, which was given for her “fight” for democracy. Also read | Daughter Maria Corina Machado accepts Nobel Peace Prize on behalf of mother – Watch
Speaking about threats to her safety, Machado said: “Anyone who lives in Venezuela and wants to speak the truth is in danger.”
How did she get out of Venezuela?
According to a report in AFP, Maria Corina Machado wore wigs and a disguise, avoiding checkpoints to be arrested and arriving in Oslo. It reportedly took her three days to get from Venezuela to Norway.
Smuggled from a hiding place in Caracas and across the Caribbean in a fishing vessel to a waiting plane, the Nobel Peace Prize winner finally reached Oslo and emerged to greet cheering supporters from a hotel balcony early Thursday.
Two people helped her escape. The three then passed through 10 military checkpoints and made the 10-hour journey. They then embarked on a perilous journey across the Caribbean Sea to Curacao in a small open wooden fishing boat.
The US military was also alerted to cross the sea to avoid the ship becoming their target.
“I want to … thank all the men and women who risked their lives so I could be here today. One day I’ll be able to tell you because I certainly don’t want to put them at risk right now,” she said.
Meanwhile, English business magnate Richard Branson praised her bravery for her daring escape from Venezuela.
“This is her moment to speak openly about Venezuelans’ desire for freedom and democracy. For the first time in 18 months, she doesn’t have to fear arrest or worse. I remember a concert for Venezuela that we helped organize almost seven years ago in Colombia. Hundreds of thousands of Venezuelans showed up for a joyous day of music and dance, hoping for and waiting for a better future. Returning to a free country embodies all of their hopes and desires.
