Venezuelan Nobel laureate and opposition leader María Corina Machado would be considered a ‘fugitive’ if she attends the peace prize ceremony in Norway, the country’s Attorney General has told AFP.
Machado, reportedly hiding in Venezuela, had expressed interest in travelling to Oslo for the event on 10 December. Attorney General Tarek William Saab stated that because she is outside Venezuela and faces multiple criminal investigations, she would be deemed a fugitive. Machado faces allegations of conspiracy, incitement of hatred, and terrorism.
Saab added that another investigation is ongoing against Machado for supporting the deployment of US military forces in the Caribbean.
US President Donald Trump has deployed the world’s largest aircraft carrier, warships, and fighter jets citing anti-drug operations. Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro has condemned these moves as an attempt to overthrow his leftist government.
The Nobel laureate Machado has welcomed the military presence, which led to at least 83 deaths in attacks on alleged drug-trafficking boats in the Caribbean and Pacific. She has also supported Washington’s claim that Maduro heads a drug cartel. Caracas has described the naval attacks as extrajudicial killings.
On Tuesday, Machado posted a video on social media stating that Venezuela is on the “threshold of a new era.” Trump has claimed that Maduro’s days are numbered and has authorised secret CIA operations in Venezuela.
Khaborwala/SS
