LEILA FADEL, HOST:
The Nobel Peace Prize was presented this morning in Oslo, Norway, to Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado. The Nobel Committee cited her, quote, "long-standing struggle to achieve a just and peaceful transition from dictatorship to democracy" in the South American nation. But Machado, who has been in hiding inside Venezuela to avoid being arrested by the country's authoritarian regime, was unable to make it to Oslo on time for the ceremony. So her daughter, Ana, accepted the prize on her behalf.
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ANA CORINA SOSA: I am here on behalf of my mother, Maria Corina Machado, who has united millions of Venezuelans in an extraordinary effort that you, our hosts, have honored with a Nobel Peace Prize.
FADEL: Reporter John Otis has been covering Venezuela for us from neighboring Colombia. Good morning, John.
JOHN OTIS, BYLINE: Good morning, Leila.
FADEL: So, John, despite the danger she faces, Maria Corina Machado had vowed to attend today's ceremony. What happened?
OTIS: It's really been a mystery, rumors flying all over the place about her whereabouts. Oslo is packed with journalists. Much of Machado's family made the trip to Norway. Several Latin American presidents are there. Even Machado's dress for the ceremony was apparently waiting for her. But the first sign of trouble came on Tuesday when Machado failed to show up for a news conference. Her press aides didn't seem to know where she was or what was going on. And remember, Machado faces a travel ban in Venezuela, so getting out of the country without getting arrested is tricky. Finally, she managed this phone call this morning with a chair of the Nobel Institute to say she was safe and on her way to Oslo. Let's take a listen.
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MARIA CORINA MACHADO: Hi, Jorgen.
JORGEN WATNE FRYDNES: Is it Maria Corina?
MACHADO: Yes. This is her (ph).
FRYDNES: First, I just want to say we're so happy to hear your voice. We are so happy to hear that you're safe.
MACHADO: Me too.
OTIS: Now, Maria Corina Machado went on to say that getting out of Venezuela involved, quote, "extreme danger" in which many people risked their lives.
FADEL: And how did all this affect the ceremony?
OTIS: Machado's daughter, Ana, accepted the Nobel diploma and gold medal on her mother's behalf, and the drama surrounding Machado's quest to get out of Venezuela and get to Oslo may have actually added some urgency to her message that Venezuela needs regime change. Machado tried to bring that about in last year's presidential election. Although she was banned from running in that race, she helped convince millions of Venezuelans to vote for her stand-in candidate Edmundo Gonzalez. According to voter tally sheets, Gonzalez trounced President Nicolas Maduro. But Maduro has refused to give up power, and Machado went into hiding, and it seemed like nothing was going to change. But her winning the Nobel plus President Trump's military buildup in the Caribbean Sea and his vows that Maduro's days are numbered have suddenly thrust Venezuela back into the news.
FADEL: Now, Machado is openly lobbying for the U.S. military to depose Maduro, and that has brought out some critics of her receiving the Nobel Peace Prize, right?
OTIS: Yeah, that's true. In fact, there were some small protests in Oslo of people who believe that she's too bellicose to receive the Nobel Peace Prize. But Machado argues that she did push for a peaceful transition to democracy through last year's election. She played by the rules. But Maduro refused to give up power, and he used his armed forces to crush anti-government protests. So from Machado's point of view, a military action to oust Maduro may be the only option that's left to create a more democratic and peaceful Venezuela.
FADEL: That's John Otis reporting from Bogota, Colombia. Thank you, John.
OTIS: Thank you.
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