Venezuelan opposition leader Machado reappears in Norway after months in hiding
Venezuelan opposition leader Mar a Corina Machado appeared in general Thursday for the first time in months in Norway as her daughter accepted the Nobel Peace Prize award on her behalf Machado had been in hiding since Jan when she was briefly detained after joining supporters in Venezuela s capital Caracas Her recognition came after mounting a peaceful challenge to Venezuelan President Nicol s Maduro s executive The crowd chanted Freedom as Machado stepped onto the hotel balcony in Oslo Norway and waved to her supporters before joining them in trilling Venezuela s national anthem In an audio recording of a phone call published on the Nobel website Machado stated she wouldn t be able to arrive to Oslo in time for the award ceremony but that multiple people had risked their lives to get her there MARCO RUBIO SAYS NICOL S MADURO S CARTEL DE LOS SOLES TO BE DESIGNATED A TERRORIST ORGANIZATION I am very grateful to them and this is a measure of what this recognition means to the Venezuelan people she commented Her daughter Ana Corina Sosa accepted the Nobel Prize in her place saying that her mother wants to live in a free Venezuela and will never give up on that purpose That is why we all know and I know that she will be back in Venezuela very soon Sosa added BONDI SHARES HEART-POUNDING FOOTAGE OF US SEIZING VENEZUELAN OIL TANKER IN RARE ACTION LAST SEEN IN Outside the hotel Machado interacted and hugged people in the crowd as they snapped pictures and sprinkled her with chants of President President I want you all back in Venezuela Machado reported Machado's appearance came after President Donald Trump on Wednesday communicated the U S seized a Venezuelan oil tanker a move that could further strain relations with Maduro s cabinet which already is subject to extensive U S sanctions targeting the country's oil sector DAVID MARCUS TRUMP'S AGGRESSION TOWARD VENEZUELA A WARNING TO PUTINSince September U S military strikes have targeted alleged narcotraffickers near Venezuela at least times killing people Trump has also in recent weeks declared Maduro's days are numbered and refused to rule out a ground operation in Venezuela Steve Yates senior research fellow for China and national safeguard strategy at The Heritage Foundation noted on Fox News Night on Wednesday that Machado's visit overseas was an opportunity to get greater international patronage for her cause adding that Trump might benefit from having more of America's allies in Europe encouragement a non-invasion approach The Venezuelan opposition leader has previously been outspoken in her endorsement for the Trump administration's actions against Maduro's regime and the country's narcotrafficking structure After the award was released in October the newly minted Nobel Peace Prize winner dedicated the award to both Trump and the suffering people of Venezuela Machado commented during a Fox Friends Weekend interview last month that Venezuela was standing at the threshold of freedom highlighting her new freedom manifesto that envisions a future without the Maduro regime Fox News Digital's Morgan Phillips and The Associated Press contributed to this assessment
