Venezuela has threatened to designate opposition leader Maria Corina Machado a fugitive from justice should she leave the country to accept her recently awarded Nobel Peace Prize in Norway.
Venezuelan Attorney General Tarek William Saab stated on Thursday that Machado, facing multiple criminal investigations, would be considered a fugitive if she were to depart Venezuela. He alleged that she is accused of conspiracy, incitement to hatred, and terrorism.
Saab further elaborated that Machado is under scrutiny for her support of the United States deploying forces to the Caribbean region. Machado, who claims to be living in hiding within Venezuela, had previously expressed her intention to travel to Oslo for the Nobel Prize ceremony scheduled for December 10th.
Machado has welcomed the U.S. military presence in the Caribbean, which purportedly targets vessels involved in drug trafficking, an operation that has allegedly resulted in at least 83 deaths. She has also supported Washington’s claims that President Maduro heads a drug cartel.
Former U.S. President Donald Trump previously deployed a large-scale military presence, including an aircraft carrier, warships, and fighter jets, to the Caribbean with the stated aim of combating drug smuggling. However, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro views this as a pretext for ousting his leftist government. Caracas has described the attacks on boats as extrajudicial killings.
While Trump has asserted that Maduro’s days are numbered and that he authorized the CIA to conduct covert operations in Venezuela, Machado stated in a video posted on social media on Tuesday that Venezuela is “on the verge of a new era.”
DZWatch will continue to monitor this developing situation.
