Machado says she dedicated Nobel to Trump, plans return; declines extraction details
María Corina Machado — who resurfaced in Oslo after 11 months in hiding while her daughter accepted the Nobel Peace Prize — said she dedicated the prize to President Trump, credited his actions with weakening Maduro, and plans to return to Venezuela when security allows, but declined to provide details about her extraction to protect those who helped. U.S. veterans led by Bryan Stern say a clandestine “Operation Golden Dynamite” sea exfiltration — involving small boats, dangerous seas, deception measures and a transit through a Caribbean island before a private flight to Oslo — carried her out, though reports differ on the extent of U.S. government involvement.
📌 Key Facts
- María Corina Machado made her first public appearance in 11 months in Oslo after her daughter accepted the Nobel Peace Prize on her behalf and greeted supporters from a hotel balcony.
- She dedicated her Nobel Peace Prize to President Donald Trump, saying she 'absolutely' supports his Venezuela strategy and crediting his recent actions — including a U.S. seizure of a sanctioned oil tanker — as 'decisive' in weakening Nicolás Maduro’s regime.
- Machado said she will return to Venezuela when security conditions are right, has already sent her children abroad for safety, and urged democratic nations to use sanctions, asset seizures and other law‑enforcement measures to cut off illicit revenue streams that fund repression.
- She declined to provide details about the assistance or means of her exit from Venezuela, saying disclosure would risk those who helped her.
- Machado has been in hiding since Jan. 9 after a brief detention during a Caracas protest.
- U.S. veterans led by special‑forces veteran Bryan Stern of the Grey Bull Rescue Foundation say they executed 'Operation Golden Dynamite,' a roughly one‑week plan that staged assets in the Caribbean/Aruba and used a multi‑leg land, sea and air exfiltration that ended with transit to Curaçao and a private flight to Oslo.
- Rescuers described a hazardous nighttime sea extraction — chosen to avoid fast, high‑powered boats — involving 5–10 ft seas, lost GPS and mechanical problems, radio silence, a pitch‑black flashlight rendezvous, and verification of Machado’s identity by voice; the team initially did not know the VIP was Machado and only relaxed once she was safely in Norway.
- Grey Bull’s leader gave on‑the‑record accounts praising Machado’s conduct during the journey, saying she was 'inspirational' and did not complain, but his narrative contains conflicting notes about official involvement: he said the U.S. government was not directly involved while also saying he coordinated with U.S. officials who were aware the team would operate in the area.
- U.S. pressure on Maduro’s government was highlighted in reporting as recent context for the developments, including new sanctions and Department of Justice actions such as the seizure of a sanctioned oil tanker near Venezuela.
📊 Relevant Data
Venezuela's economy collapsed due to domestic policies including price controls, nationalizations, and over-reliance on oil exports, with the decline exacerbated by falling oil prices since 2014 and international sanctions imposed later.
Why did Venezuela's economy collapse? — Economics Observatory
In Venezuela, 80% of the population lives in poverty, with 53% in extreme poverty, and the Gini inequality coefficient at 0.603, contributing to the ongoing crisis and migration.
Venezuela Country Report 2024 — BTI Transformation Index
Around 22.5% of Venezuela's population now lives abroad due to the economic and political crisis, marking the largest displacement in recent Latin American history.
The crisis-driven shifts of Venezuelan migration patterns — N-IUSSP
Venezuela's population is composed of approximately 51% Mestizo, 43% White, 3.6% Black, and 2.7% Indigenous people.
Demographics of Venezuela — Wikipedia
📰 Sources (9)
US veteran rescues 'most wanted woman in Western Hemisphere' from Venezuela in secret operation
New information:
- Bryan Stern (Grey Bull Rescue Foundation) gives an on‑the‑record, first‑person account of leading ‘Operation Golden Dynamite’ to extract María Corina Machado.
- Stern says the U.S. government was not involved; Grey Bull staged assets in the Caribbean and Aruba ahead of the mission.
- Specific deception measures used to move Machado from her home to a beach extraction point, including masking her physical and digital signatures and creating diversions.
- Maritime complications: the extraction boat lost GPS, had a mechanical hiccup, and crews navigated violent seas at night under radio silence; one operator vomited for nine hours.
- Rendezvous executed by flashlight in pitch‑black conditions; Stern’s vessel circled and illuminated the smaller boat to ensure it wasn’t a Venezuelan trap before boarding.
- Code confirmation upon securing Machado: Stern radioed “Jackpot, jackpot, jackpot.”
Machado says "I absolutely support President Trump's strategy" on Venezuela
New information:
- On CBS Face the Nation, María Corina Machado said she is "absolutely" supportive of President Trump's Venezuela strategy and called him a "champion of freedom in this hemisphere."
- She explicitly urged "every legal action through [a] law enforcement approach" by the U.S., Caribbean, Latin American and European partners to further block the regime’s illegal activities, including more sanctions and asset seizures.
- Asked about U.S. military involvement, Machado said she does not think U.S. troops on the ground will be necessary, emphasizing escalating pressure to force Maduro’s exit and a negotiated transition.
- She asserted Maduro is "weaker than ever," that security forces are divided, and predicted large-scale returns of Venezuelan migrants once Maduro leaves.
Transcript: María Corina Machado on "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan," Dec. 14, 2025
New information:
- Machado says she 'absolutely support[s] President Trump's strategy' on Venezuela and dedicated her Nobel Peace Prize to him.
- She declines to provide details on the assistance and means of her exit from Venezuela, citing risks to those who helped.
- She states she intends to return to Venezuela and has already sent her children out of the country for safety.
- She alleges escalating repression inside Venezuela, citing a recent case of a 16-year-old girl detained when authorities could not find her brother.
US covert team leader describes 'dangerous' mission to rescue Venezuelan opposition leader
New information:
- Mission leader identified on record: Special forces veteran Bryan Stern, head of the Grey Bull Rescue Foundation, detailed the extraction.
- Team initially did not know the VIP was María Corina Machado; learning her identity 'changed everything.'
- Exfiltration spanned land, air and sea, including a nighttime transit on a small fishing boat in 5–10 ft rough seas; a retired Marine on board vomited for hours.
- Stern says the team operated under constant risk of detection by Maduro’s forces and he only relaxed once Machado was safely in Norway.
- Stern described Machado as 'inspirational' who 'didn't complain once' during the journey.
'She's awesome': How U.S. veterans helped Venezuela's Machado escape
New information:
- Operation codename revealed as “Operation Golden Dynamite.”
- Planning window was about one week; land route was ruled out due to checkpoints and recognition risk.
- Sea exfiltration chosen with deliberate avoidance of fast, high‑powered boats to prevent being mistaken for narco craft amid U.S. strike operations.
- Stern says he coordinated with U.S. officials who were aware the team would operate in the area.
- Initial rendezvous at sea failed; rescuers pivoted to Machado’s boat in 10‑foot waves and verified identity by voice (“It’s me — María!”).
- Transit to a Caribbean island (widely reported as Curaçao) followed by a private flight to Oslo.
- New on‑the‑record quotes describing the risk calculus and Machado’s conduct during the extraction.
Venezuela's Machado appears open to U.S. military pressure against Maduro
New information:
- Machado tells CBS’s Face the Nation she welcomes increasing U.S. pressure, including the prospect of military action, to force Maduro from power.
- She frames Venezuela’s situation as distinct from other regime changes, claiming over 70% of Venezuelans already mandated change via an election and asking for support to enforce that decision.
- She says she has no details on President Trump’s threatened land strikes and will not involve herself in another nation’s national security decisions.
- Context in the piece notes fresh U.S. pressure this week: sanctions on Maduro’s nephews and the DOJ-led seizure of a sanctioned oil tanker near Venezuela.
Venezuelan dissident Machado credits Trump for advancing freedom movement, dedicates Nobel to him
New information:
- Machado publicly credits President Trump for sustaining Venezuela’s pro‑democracy movement and says she dedicates her Nobel Peace Prize to him, per direct quotes to Fox News Digital.
- An unnamed official says Machado hopes to visit the U.S. to meet Trump and formally honor him for his support.
- Reiterates her reemergence in Oslo after 11 months in hiding, aligning with AP’s report that she greeted supporters from a hotel balcony during Nobel events.
Venezuelan Nobel laureate credits Trump for pressuring Maduro with ‘decisive’ actions
New information:
- María Corina Machado made her first public appearance in 11 months in Oslo after her daughter accepted the Nobel Peace Prize on her behalf.
- She credited President Donald Trump’s recent actions, including an oil-tanker seizure, as 'decisive' in weakening Maduro’s regime.
- Machado said she will return to Venezuela when security conditions are right and called on democratic nations to cut off illicit revenue streams that fund repression.
- She met Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre, who said Norway is ready to support a democratic Venezuela in building new institutions.
- Machado has been in hiding since Jan. 9 after a brief detention during a Caracas protest.