Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado. Reuters Yonhap News

Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado, 58, reportedly fractured her spine during her journey to Norway last week to attend the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony.

According to AFP, Machado's spokesperson, Claudia Macera, stated on the 15th (local time) that "Machado's spinal fracture has been confirmed."

The news of Machado's injury was first reported by Norway's daily Aftenposten, where Machado is currently staying. The newspaper reported that Machado sustained the injury while escaping a hideout in Venezuela and navigating rough seas in a small fishing boat.

Machado had secretly fled Venezuela through a process reminiscent of a spy movie to attend the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony scheduled for the 10th.

She arrived in Norway at dawn on the 11th, one day after the ceremony, due to bad weather. In Oslo, she has been voicing her opposition to the Nicolás Maduro government, participating in various press conferences and interviews with Western media.

Machado was selected as this year's Nobel Peace Prize laureate for her efforts in leading the democratization movement against President Maduro's iron-fisted rule. The Venezuelan government had threatened to ban Machado from leaving the country and declared her an absconder if she did so, but she went ahead with her journey to Norway.