SCOTT DETROW, HOST:
It's ALL THINGS CONSIDERED from NPR News. I'm Scott Detrow in Washington.
AILSA CHANG, HOST:
And I'm Ailsa Chang in Culver City, California. This year's winner of the Nobel Peace Prize is the Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado. She finally arrived in Oslo after what appears to have been a harrowing days-long journey out of her home country. It is her first public appearance in more than a year, following a repressive campaign by President Nicolas Maduro. His third reelection last year was widely condemned as fraudulent, and Machado's acceptance of the Nobel Peace Prize comes as the Trump administration is applying military pressure on Venezuela. Yesterday, the White House confirmed that the U.S. had seized a tanker with Venezuelan crude oil off the coast of the South American country. For more on the latest, we're joined now by NPR South America correspondent Carrie Kahn. Hi, Carrie.
CARRIE KAHN, BYLINE: Hi, Ailsa.
CHANG: OK. So Machado missed this Nobel Peace Prize ceremony by just a few hours, but I understand that she made quite an entrance early this morning. Tell us what happened.
KAHN: She emerged onto a hotel balcony at around 2:30 a.m. local time, and she was greeted by a hearty group of Venezuelan supporters in the street below. She also gave some interviews to European outlets. And in a press conference later, she said she was delayed, clearly, but did get out of Venezuela with the help of the United States. She said she was thankful for President Trump's military pressure on Maduro, saying now there are costs for Maduro's repression.
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MARIA CORINA MACHADO: Because the regime previously thought that they could do anything, anything. They felt they had absolute impunity, and absolutely nothing was going to happen.
KAHN: She said, now they start to understand that, quote, "this is serious and that the world is watching."
CHANG: Wait. How did Machado even get out? Like, did she give any details?
KAHN: No, she did not give any details. She just said she received assistance from the U.S. There have been news reports about her escape involving passing through multiple land checkpoints in disguise to eventually leaving Venezuela by boat. NPR has not confirmed those details. We did reach out to the State Department, the Pentagon and Machado's press team for comment. We did not receive any. At about the same time she would have been traveling by boat, though, there was a significant U.S. military aircraft presence over the Gulf of Venezuela. That's according to the Associated Press. And tracking data also showed that the plane she arrived on in Oslo originated from Bangor, Maine.
CHANG: Is all of this international attention on her, along with U.S. military pressure and President Trump's threats, bringing Maduro any closer to stepping down, you think?
KAHN: We don't really know. He and his officials continue to make statements that they will not be moved. His interior minister spoofed Machado on his weekly television show last night and also said that Venezuelan officials know where Machado is and track her movements at all times. He did not provide any evidence for that. And here's Maduro yesterday. He's at a rally of supporters, dancing and singing in English to Bobby McFerrin's "Don't Worry Be Happy."
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PRESIDENT NICOLAS MADURO: (Singing) Laaa, la-la, la-la, la-laaa. Just peace. Not war.
KAHN: An official government statement issued yesterday also referred to the seizure of that oil tanker by U.S. Coast Guard and military troops as piracy and theft. And today, Russia's Putin called Maduro to pledge his continued support.
CHANG: OK. So what comes next for the U.S. strategy, you think, and for Machado?
KAHN: The seizure of the oil tanker and enforcing U.S. sanctions against Venezuela's oil revenues will continue. That's according to the administration. But do you remember the White House is still allowing Chevron to import Venezuela crude to U.S. refineries. The boat strikes against alleged drug traffickers in waters in the Caribbean and the Eastern Pacific are continuing, despite questions about their legality and objections by some in Congress. As for Machado, she vows to return to Venezuela, and she did add that her return would happen even if Maduro had not left power.
CHANG: That is NPR's Carrie Kahn joining us from Rio de Janeiro. Thank you, Carrie.
KAHN: You're welcome. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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