Maria Corina Machado used a wig and disguise to sneak through 10 military checkpoints in Venezuela during a perilous three-day journey to the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony in Norway.
The Venezuelan democracy activist and opposition leader was escorted by US Navy F-18s and a private contractor issued by president Donald Trump’s administration during the journey from her hiding spot in Caracas to Oslo, where she was awarded the prize on Wednesday.
Ms Machado, 58, has endured persistent threats to her life since being forced into exile and banned from public office in the aftermath of a controversial presidential election last year that saw socialist leader Nicolas Maduro crowned winner.
But she was determined to make it to Oslo to collect the accolade, awarded to her for her brave efforts to defend freedom and democracy in Venezuela.
While others chose to flee Venezuela, Ms Machado chose to remain in the country in hiding. Her trip marked her first appearance in public.
Setting out on Monday afternoon, the first leg of the journey took a gruelling 10 hours from her secret residence in an unassuming suburb in Caracas to a coastal fishing village, according to The Wall Street Journal.
Ms Machado and her two companions snuck through 10 military checkpoints before arriving at the coast by midnight, where they rested for a few hours.
They set out on the second leg of their journey at 5am, using a wooden skiff – a tiny rowing boat used for fishing– to traverse the strong winds and the choppy waters of the Caribbean Sea to arrive at the island of Curaçao.
Before leaving, the group made a call to the US military to fend off the risk of an attack. Recent strikes on what Washington has claimed are “narcoterrorists” have killed at least 87 people in international waters in recent weeks.
“We coordinated that she was going to leave by a specific area so that they would not blow up the boat,” said someone close to the operation.
US Navy F-18s flew into the Gulf of Venezuela and were recorded spending around 40 minutes flying in tight circles near the route that led from the coast to the island, according to flight-tracking data.
The Trump administration is said to have been aware of the plan, but the US Navy and Pentagon declined to comment. Officials in the administration denied any alleged military contact.
Machado arrived at the island at 3pm on Tuesday where she was met by a private contractor issued by Mr Trump’s office who specialises in extractions. Machado stayed in a hotel overnight and took an executive jet supplied by a Miami contact of the president. It made a stop in Bangor, Maine, before making the trip to Norway.
Before boarding the plane, Ms Machado recorded a short audio message in which she thanked “so many people … [who] risked their lives” to help her escape Venezuela.
Her appearance at the ceremony was plagued by speculation and rumours. Even the Nobel Institute admitted it was “in the dark” about her whereabouts, sparking concern for her safety.
A press conference was cancelled after a delay of several hours, and Ms Machado’s daughter Ana Corina Sosa Machado collected the Nobel medal and diploma in her absence.
Tensions between the US and Venezuela have reached a fever pitch after the seizure of an oil tanker on Thursday. America says that the vessel was carrying sanctioned oil. But Mr Maduro’s government has accused the Trump administration of “fabricating” a war for the purposes of extracting oil and resources.
