María Corina Machado Appears in Oslo After Fleeing Venezuela, Nobel Peace Prize Controversy Ensues
María Corina Machado, Nobel Peace Prize winner, appeared on the balcony of Oslo's Grand Hotel around 2:30 am local time after about 11 months in hiding in Caracas.
She fled Venezuela by boat to escape Nicolás Maduro's government, with the escape reportedly delayed by bad weather and routed toward Curaçao.
Crowds outside the Grand Hotel chanted slogans and sang the Venezuelan anthem as Machado descended to the street and climbed over barricades to greet supporters.
Machado's daughter Ana Corina Sosa Machado, 34, accepted the Nobel Peace Prize on her mother's behalf in Oslo.
Maduro's regime denounced the award; Vice President Delcy Rodríguez called the Nobel ceremony a failure and said the prize was stained with blood.
Maduro urged the United States to stop interventionism and warned of resistance if necessary.
Some observers say Machado is well placed to lead Venezuela if U.S. pressure succeeds in removing Maduro, though Maduro's fate remains uncertain.
