Can Maduro's trusted lieutenant now work for Trump?

Several authors have withdrawn from the upcoming Hay Festival in Cartagena, Colombia, due to the invitation extended to Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado. The authors, including Laura Restrepo and Giuseppe Caputo, are protesting Machado's support for potential US military intervention in Venezuela and her ties to right-wing leaders. They cite her alignment with figures like Donald Trump and her support for increasing pressure on Nicolás Maduro, potentially "by force," as reasons for their boycott. The authors view Machado's positions as undermining the sovereignty of Latin American countries and promoting imperialist intervention. The Hay Festival in Cartagena is scheduled for next month.

A 2025 article reports that the Trump administration's public justification for confronting Venezuela, curbing drug trafficking, contrasts with its behind-the-scenes focus on accessing the country's vast oil reserves. Venezuela possesses the world's largest oil reserves, approximately 17% of the known total. Secret negotiations between U.S. officials and Nicolás Maduro, along with discussions between Trump's aides and Venezuelan opposition figures like María Corina Machado, highlight this interest. Machado, Venezuela's main opposition leader, has actively promoted the country's oil and gas potential to American businesses and politicians, emphasizing a $1.7 trillion opportunity. While the White House cites drug trafficking as the primary concern, the article suggests that gaining control of Venezuela's oil is a significant, underlying motivation.

U.S. special forces veteran Bryan Stern led a private operation, dubbed "Operation Golden Dynamite," to rescue Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado from Venezuela. Machado, considered a fugitive by President Nicolás Maduro, had been in hiding since the disputed election. Stern's team, Grey Bull Rescue, extracted her using disguises, deception, and maritime maneuvers, navigating turbulent seas to reach a designated location. The operation involved creating diversions to obscure Machado's movements and evade detection. She was then transported to Norway to accept her Nobel Peace Prize. Stern emphasized that the U.S. government was not involved in the rescue.

Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado suffered a vertebra fracture during a secret trip from Venezuela to Norway last week. The injury occurred during a high-risk sea crossing in a small fishing boat, according to a Norwegian newspaper. Machado, who received the Nobel Peace Prize, had expressed concerns about her safety during the journey to Oslo. Her spokesperson confirmed the fracture, and she was examined by doctors at Oslo University Hospital. Despite the injury, Machado greeted supporters upon her arrival in Oslo, although the fracture caused her to miss the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony.

María Corina Machado, the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize winner, will not attend the award ceremony in Oslo, Norway, on Wednesday. According to the head of the Norwegian Nobel Institute, Kristian Berg Harpviken, Machado will be represented by her daughter, Ana Corina Sosa. While Norwegian officials expected her arrival, Machado has been in hiding since last year's election due to threats of arrest from Nicolás Maduro's government in Venezuela. Harpviken stated that the trip to Oslo posed significant risks to Machado, who has been a prominent figure in Venezuela's opposition movement for over two decades. She has faced political challenges, including being barred from running for president despite winning an opposition primary.

Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado made a public appearance in Norway on Thursday, her first in 11 months, after being in hiding since January. Her daughter accepted the Nobel Peace Prize on her behalf at the ceremony in Oslo. Machado was unable to attend the ceremony due to safety concerns, but expressed gratitude to those who helped her reach Norway. Her daughter stated that Machado is committed to a free Venezuela and intends to return soon. The appearance coincided with increased U.S. pressure on the Maduro government, including the seizure of a Venezuelan oil tanker and recent military strikes targeting alleged narcotraffickers near Venezuela. A policy expert suggested Machado's visit could garner greater international support for her cause.

María Corina Machado, Venezuela's opposition leader and 2024 Nobel Peace Prize laureate, is in hiding, casting uncertainty on her attendance at Wednesday's award ceremony in Oslo. The Nobel Institute stated they are unsure when or how she will arrive, despite her family already being in Oslo. Machado was awarded the prize for her efforts to bring democracy to Venezuela. She has been in hiding since the disputed 2024 election, which she claims was stolen, and was banned from running. The Venezuelan government has warned that leaving the country would classify her as a fugitive facing accusations of conspiracy, incitement of hatred, and terrorism. Machado previously stated her intention to return to Venezuela after collecting the prize.

Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado made her first public appearance in months in Oslo, Norway, where she traveled to receive her Nobel Peace Prize. Despite a travel ban and threats from the Venezuelan government, Machado arrived in Oslo after a covert journey and greeted supporters from a hotel balcony. Her daughter accepted the Nobel Peace Prize on her behalf earlier in the day, awarded in recognition of Machado's efforts to promote democracy in Venezuela. Machado, who has been separated from her children for two years, expressed joy at reuniting with them. She has been a vocal critic of President Nicolás Maduro and was barred from running in last year's presidential elections.

Nobel Peace Prize winner Maria Corina Machado made a secret journey from Venezuela to Oslo, Norway, where she held a press conference with Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre. Machado expressed hope that Venezuela will be free and become a beacon of democracy. She emphasized the love of Venezuelans for their country, freedom, and children as her motivation. The article also mentions Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán welcoming US criticism of the EU, and other European leaders discussing NATO and the war in Ukraine.

Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado secretly traveled to Oslo, Norway, to accept her Nobel Peace Prize, marking her first public appearance since January. Despite a travel ban and threats from the Venezuelan government, who consider her a fugitive and terrorist, Machado made the covert journey. She told the BBC that leaving Venezuela was "very, very dangerous" due to the risks involved. Machado, who has been in hiding for months, acknowledged the risks people took to facilitate her travel. The 58-year-old's appearance in Oslo occurred in the middle of the night.

A US special forces veteran, Bryan Stern, led a rescue operation, dubbed "Operation Golden Dynamite," to extract Venezuelan opposition leader and Nobel laureate María Corina Machado from Venezuela. Machado had been living in hiding since the disputed elections and hadn't been seen publicly since January. The operation, carried out by Stern's Grey Bull Rescue Foundation, involved disguises, two boats navigating rough seas, and a flight to Oslo, Norway, where Machado arrived safely to collect her Nobel Peace Prize on Wednesday. Grey Bull, which specializes in rescue missions, had been building a presence in the Caribbean, including Venezuela, in preparation for potential operations. The organization was contacted by Machado's team to extract her from the country due to the risks she faced as a prominent opposition figure.