María Corina Machado. AFP.-Yonhap News

María Corina Machado, the Venezuelan opposition leader and this year's Nobel Peace Prize laureate, announced on the 11th (local time) that she received assistance from the U.S. government to leave Venezuela and travel to Norway for the Nobel Prize ceremony.

She stated that the Nicolás Maduro regime did not know her hiding place and that she would return to her homeland to continue the struggle for regime change, regardless of whether President Maduro steps down.

According to AP and Reuters, Machado said at a press conference in Oslo, Norway, "We were able to come here with the support of the U.S. government." She added, "If the conditions for safety are deemed appropriate, I will return to Venezuela, and this is independent of whether the regime steps down."

"They did not know where I was and would have done everything possible to stop me," she said. "I am grateful to everyone who helped me get here today." However, she did not disclose details of her departure process, stating, "I don't want to put them in danger."

Machado had been in hiding and leading an anti-government movement since the presidential election last July. Under an exit ban, she had planned to travel to Oslo by boat to attend the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony held the previous day, but due to bad weather, she could not arrive on time. Her daughter, Ana Sosa Machado, accepted the award on her behalf.

According to The Wall Street Journal (WSJ), Machado disguised herself with a wig and, with two aides, passed through 10 military checkpoints over 10 hours. Furthermore, as the boat carrying Machado set sail, two U.S. Navy F-18 fighter jets entered the Venezuelan waters and circled for about 40 minutes. Anonymous sources told Bloomberg that individuals from the Maduro regime helped her to leave the country.

"I came to receive this award on behalf of the Venezuelan people and will bring the award back to Venezuela at the appropriate time," Machado said. "I will not say when or how I will bring it back." If the Maduro regime denies her entry, she may have to live in exile abroad.

Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. AFP.-Yonhap News

"Venezuela will be free again, and I am confident that we will transform this country into a beacon of hope and an opportunity for democracy," she said. "We will welcome not only Venezuelans who have been forcibly displaced but also citizens from around the world seeking refuge, as they did decades ago."

Regarding the U.S. military's seizure of oil tankers off the Venezuelan coast the previous day, Machado stated, "I request that the international community cut off the (Maduro regime's) sources of income." She also said that the Maduro regime had significantly weakened, and that the actions taken by U.S. President Donald Trump were decisive. When asked if she would support a U.S. invasion of Venezuela, she responded that Venezuela had already been invaded by Russian and Iranian agents and drug cartels.

President Maduro, who has been in power for 13 years, is suspected of colluding with drug and arms trafficking organizations. The U.S. is conducting daily military operations under the guise of combating drug cartels, including sinking Venezuelan ships suspected of transporting drugs and deploying an aircraft carrier strike group in the Caribbean. President Maduro argues that the U.S. is attempting a regime change to seize Venezuela's vast oil resources.

Machado announced her candidacy for last year's presidential election, but it was canceled due to a 15-year restriction on her eligibility for public office. The Norwegian Nobel Committee selected her as the Nobel Peace Prize laureate, stating that she had "worked tirelessly to promote the democratic rights of the Venezuelan people" and "struggled for a just and peaceful transition from dictatorship to democracy." However, controversy arose regarding her suitability as a Nobel laureate due to her support for U.S. military intervention to oust President Maduro.