María Corina Machado feared for her life during escape from Venezuela: ‘I felt a real risk’

Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado opened her eyes and sighed as she relived her secret journey to escape Venezuela. “Those were very intense hours, during which I felt a real risk to my life,” the Nobel Peace Prize laureate told eight international media outlets, including EL PAÍS, at the Grand Hotel in Oslo, less than 48 hours after landing in the Norwegian capital.

The opposition leader asserted that her movement faces decisive moments, and that “the situation is shifting and accelerating with each passing day.” She also declared herself ready to lead the democratic transition in her country. “Time is against Nicolás Maduro and the regime, and in favor of the opposition, of the Venezuelan people,” she stated.

Machado also addressed the role of the Spanish government, headed by Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, emphasizing that its actions have not been sufficient in the face of the Venezuelan crisis. “History will judge,” she remarked. “But there has been a lack of action, that much is clear.” She appealed for the Spanish authorities to “do their part.”

Edmundo González Urrutia, her candidate at the presidential elections of July 28, 2024 has been living in exile in Madrid after being targeted by the Maduro regime, which did not acknowledge the voting tallies provided by the opposition and showing Urrutia as the winner.

Regarding the details that have emerged in recent hours about Machado’s departure from Venezuelan territory, evading military checkpoints and undertaking a risky boat journey to the island of Curaçao, Machado neither confirms nor denies the reports, but maintains her distance. “I’m not going to give out any details or make any comments about the logistical process that brought me here,” she stated.

The Venezuelan Nobel laureate has not yet revealed her next steps or whether she plans to travel through Spain or meet with U.S. President Donald Trump. “Yesterday I said one day at a time, today I’m telling you one hour at a time,” she responded. “If I had the answers, I certainly wouldn’t be giving them to you at this point.”

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