Nobel Peace Laureate Machado Appears Publicly After 11 Months

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News Desk: Nobel Peace Prize winner and Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado has appeared in public for the first time in 11 months.

Early Thursday morning (11 December local time), she greeted supporters by waving from the balcony of a hotel in Oslo, Norway, according to AFP.

Machado had been in hiding for the past 11 months. Her last public appearance was on 9 January this year, when she took part in a protest in Caracas against President Nicolás Maduro’s inauguration for a third term.

She was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize this year, with the announcement made in October. While in hiding at the time, Machado had expressed her wish to travel to Oslo in person to receive the prize.

In response to the Nobel Committee’s decision, the Maduro government closed Venezuela’s embassy in Norway and imposed a travel ban on Machado. The Attorney General warned that ongoing criminal investigations against her meant she would be considered a “fugitive” if she left the country.

Despite the restrictions, Machado managed to leave Venezuela secretly. The official prize ceremony was held in Oslo on Wednesday (10 December). However, as she arrived late in Norway, she was unable to attend the ceremony, and the prize was awarded in her absence.