{"id":8236,"date":"2025-12-11T19:42:37","date_gmt":"2025-12-11T19:42:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wpinitiate.com\/echo-test\/demo973e36f5\/2025\/12\/11\/december-11-2025-machado-calls-trumps-actions-decisive-after-us-seizes-oil-tanker-cnn\/"},"modified":"2025-12-11T19:42:37","modified_gmt":"2025-12-11T19:42:37","slug":"december-11-2025-machado-calls-trumps-actions-decisive-after-us-seizes-oil-tanker-cnn","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wpinitiate.com\/echo-test\/demo973e36f5\/2025\/12\/11\/december-11-2025-machado-calls-trumps-actions-decisive-after-us-seizes-oil-tanker-cnn\/","title":{"rendered":"December 11, 2025 – Machado calls Trump\u2019s actions \u2018decisive\u2019 after US seizes oil tanker – CNN"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Venezuelan opposition leader Mar\u00eda Corina Machado has vowed that her country would soon be \u201cbright, democratic and free.”<\/p>\n

” data-duration=”15:56″ data-source-html=” \u2022 Source: CNN<\/a> <\/span>” data-fave-thumbnails=”{“big”: { “uri”: “https:\/\/media.cnn.com\/api\/v1\/images\/stellar\/prod\/gettyimages-2250564088.jpg?c=16×9&q=h_540,w_960,c_fill” }, “small”: { “uri”: “https:\/\/media.cnn.com\/api\/v1\/images\/stellar\/prod\/gettyimages-2250564088.jpg?c=16×9&q=h_540,w_960,c_fill” } }” data-vr-video=”false” data-show-html=”” data-byline-html=”<\/p>\n

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Updated 12:45 PM EST, Thu December 11, 2025 <\/div>\n

” data-check-event-based-preview data-is-vertical-video-embed=”false” data-network-id data-publish-date=”2025-12-11T10:47:11.908Z” data-video-section=”world” data-canonical-url data-branding-key data-video-slug=”venezuela-machado-nobel-laureate-oslo-digvids-intldrk” data-first-publish-slug=”venezuela-machado-nobel-laureate-oslo-digvids-intldrk” data-video-tags data-breakpoints=”{“video-resource–media-extra-large”: 660}” data-display-video-cover=”true” data-details data-track-zone=”top” data-sticky-anchor-pos=”bottom” data-tabcontent=”Content”> <\/p>\n

Venezuelan opposition leader Mar\u00eda Corina Machado has vowed that her country would soon be \u201cbright, democratic and free.”<\/p>\n

” data-check-event-based-preview data-network-id data-publish-date=”2025-12-11T10:47:11.908Z” data-video-section=”world” data-canonical-url data-branding-key data-video-slug=”venezuela-machado-nobel-laureate-oslo-digvids-intldrk” data-first-publish-slug=”venezuela-machado-nobel-laureate-oslo-digvids-intldrk” data-video-tags> \"Nobel<\/picture> <\/div>\n

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Venezuela will soon be \u2018democratic and free,\u2019 Nobel laureate Machado says in Oslo <\/p>\n

15:56 <\/span> \u2022 Source: CNN<\/a> <\/span> <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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Venezuela will soon be \u2018democratic and free,\u2019 Nobel laureate Machado says in Oslo<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

15:56 <\/span> <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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\u2022 Venezuelan opposition leader speaks: <\/strong>Mar\u00eda Corina Machado said the US helped her get to Norway<\/a> to receive her Nobel Peace Prize. It comes as Washington exerts pressure on the authoritarian government of President Nicol\u00e1s Maduro. <\/p>\n

\u2022 Vow to return:<\/strong> Machado, who had been in hiding in Venezuela<\/a>, said that her country will soon be \u201cdemocratic and free<\/a>.\u201d She also spoke of her \u201cduty\u201d to return<\/a> to her country with her award, no matter who is in power<\/a>. <\/p>\n

\u2022 Tanker seized: <\/strong>Machado spoke a day after the US seized an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela<\/a>, ramping up a campaign that has included moving troops into the Caribbean, strikes on suspected drug boats<\/a> and threats against its leader<\/a>. She called US President Donald Trump\u2019s actions \u201cdecisive\u201d<\/a> in weakening Maduro\u2019s regime. <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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\"Russian<\/picture> <\/div>\n

Russian President Vladimir Putin held a phone call with his Venezuelan counterpart Nicol\u00e1s Maduro today, in which he expressed solidarity with the Venezuelan people and reaffirmed his support for Maduro\u2019s policies, according to a Kremlin readout. <\/p>\n

The Kremlin also said that the two leaders expressed an intention to carry out various \u201cjoint projects\u201d related to the economy, trade and energy. <\/p>\n

CNN has reached out to the Venezuelan government for comment on the call. <\/p>\n

More background:<\/strong> Russia and Venezuela have long had close ties, and the phone call comes after the United States seized an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela yesterday, escalating US pressure on Maduro\u2019s regime. <\/p>\n

Last week, US President Donald Trump confirmed he had spoken with the Venezuelan leader<\/a> on the phone. \u201cI wouldn\u2019t say it went well or badly. It was a phone call,\u201d Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One when asked whether the call had taken place. <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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\"Maria<\/picture> <\/div>\n

Mar\u00eda Corina Machado has held two news conferences in Oslo, Norway, telling journalists that it was her \u201cduty\u201d to receive the prize<\/a> and take it back to Venezuela. <\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re going to show the world that we do not only deserve this Nobel Prize, but that this generation will outlast what is going on,\u201d she added. <\/p>\n

Machado, who has been in hiding in her home country, also said that she received \u201csupport from the United States government<\/a>\u201d to travel to Norway, declining to elaborate. <\/p>\n

\u201cI cannot give details, because these are people that could be harmed,\u201d Machado said of those who aided her travel. <\/p>\n

Asked for her reaction to the US seizure of an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela yesterday, Machado said she supports global actions to cut off sources of revenue flowing to Venezuela\u2019s oppressive government. <\/p>\n

\u201cThey use those resources to repress and persecute our people,\u201d she said.<\/a> <\/p>\n

Machado added that she believes US President Donald Trump\u2019s actions have been \u201cdecisive\u201d<\/a> in weakening the regime of Venezuelan leader Nicol\u00e1s Maduro. <\/p>\n

The opposition leader also said that she has received \u201cquite a few invitations\u201d to meetings during her trip to Norway. <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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\"US<\/picture> <\/div>\n

Although the US and Venezuela enjoyed strong relations during the late 20th century, with US companies key investors in Venezuela\u2019s massive oil sector, friction started to develop following the election of leftist leader Hugo Ch\u00e1vez<\/a> in 1999. <\/p>\n

These tensions increased as Ch\u00e1vez tightened his grip on power amid deepening authoritarianism and strong relations with communist Cuba, a sworn enemy of the US, and have deepened under Ch\u00e1vez\u2019 chosen successor Nicol\u00e1s Maduro. <\/p>\n

Since taking over as Venezuelan president in 2013 following Chavez\u2019 death from cancer, Maduro has overseen a further slide into dictatorship, manipulating election results and violently repressing protests as he has fought tooth and nail to stay in power, as well as deepening relationships with Washington\u2019s geopolitical rivals of China, Russia and Iran. <\/p>\n

During his first term in office, President Donald Trump used economic sanctions and support for Venezuela\u2019s political opposition to exert pressure on Maduro, who nonetheless has remained in power. <\/p>\n

Since returning to the White House in January, Trump has accused Maduro of flooding the US with drugs and criminals<\/a>. His administration has also designated Venezuelan criminal groups Tren de Aragua and Cartel de los Soles<\/a> as foreign terrorist organizations in an apparent move to justify military action against the Venezuelan government. <\/p>\n

At the same time, Trump envoy Richard Grenell has maintained contact with Venezuelan officials and met with Maduro several times<\/a> earlier this year, and the US president himself spoke with his Venezuelan counterpart by phone in November. <\/p>\n

Despite maintaining diplomatic contact, the US has continued to build its military presence in the Caribbean, conducting military strikes against alleged drug trafficking vessels and threatening to attack cartel infrastructure in Venezuelan territory, and Wednesday\u2019s seizure of an oil tanker carrying Venezuelan crude is the latest escalation in Trump\u2019s campaign to finally remove Maduro from power. <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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Venezuelan President Nicol\u00e1s Maduro has developed a knack for succeeding against the odds, with few predicting his rise to the presidency nor his continued ability to remain in power. <\/p>\n

The son of a political activist from a traditional Venezuelan party, Maduro joined the Socialist League as a student and began working as a bus driver for the Caracas Metro. <\/p>\n

He then became a union leader before entering the National Assembly when his political mentor Hugo Ch\u00e1vez was elected president in 1999. <\/p>\n

Maduro rose through the ranks of the United Socialist Party of Venezuela (PSUV), serving as foreign minister and vice president during Ch\u00e1vez\u2019 time in office. <\/p>\n

He was one of a raft of potential candidates to take over the presidency as Ch\u00e1vez\u2019 health declined following a cancer diagnosis, but Ch\u00e1vez moved to tamp down internal disputes and picked him as his successor in December 2012. <\/p>\n

Since taking over the top job in 2013, Maduro has faced mockery of his eccentric public pronouncements and criticism of his electoral system, as well as a succession of protests, sanctions, arrest warrants, possible rebellions and international isolation. <\/p>\n

\"Venezuela's<\/picture> <\/div>\n

Nonetheless, he has been able to head off crises despite mounting international criticism of his government and the fact that millions of Venezuelans have fled the country amid deepening poverty and political repression. <\/p>\n

Excessive force, arbitrary detentions of protesters and opposition leaders, sexual violence, torture and extrajudicial executions are all part of Maduro\u2019s toolkit for managing dissent, according to UN reports. <\/p>\n

Now, however, Maduro appears to be facing his toughest moment yet, with President Donald Trump ratcheting up the pressure on his government and opposition leader Mar\u00eda Corina Machado, who was named this year\u2019s winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, attempting to drum up international support for a change in government. <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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Venezuela has said it \u201cstrongly denounces\u201d the US seizure of an oil tanker off its Caribbean coast, describing the move as an \u201cact of international piracy.\u201d <\/p>\n

A statement from the Venezuelan government said the move, along with previous comments from US President Donald Trump, made it clear that Washington\u2019s policy toward Caracas is part of a \u201cdeliberate plan to plunder our energy resources.\u201d <\/p>\n

\u201cIn these circumstances, the true reasons for the prolonged aggression against Venezuela have finally been revealed. It is not migration. It is not drug trafficking. It is not democracy. It is not human rights. It has always been about our natural wealth, our oil, our energy, the resources that belong exclusively to the Venezuelan people,\u201d it said. <\/p>\n

Venezuela said it would appeal the seizure to \u201call existing international bodies.\u201d <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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Mar\u00eda Corina Machado said she doesn\u2019t yet have plans to visit other European capitals or the United States, but the Venezuelan opposition leader said has received \u201cquite a few invitations\u201d during her time so far in Norway. <\/p>\n

\u201cNow that I\u2019m here, I certainly want to spend a few hours with my colleagues, friends and my children,\u201d she said, adding that she also has some doctors\u2019 appointments and meetings to attend after being in hiding for the last 15 months. <\/p>\n

Machado narrowly missed the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony yesterday, and instead her daughter accepted the award on her behalf. <\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ll be back in Venezuela, I have no doubt,\u201d Machado also said during the news conference. <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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\"US<\/picture> <\/div>\n

Mar\u00eda Corina Machado said she believes US President Donald Trump\u2019s actions have been \u201cdecisive\u201d in weakening the regime of Venezuelan leader Nicol\u00e1s Maduro. <\/p>\n

\u201cThe regime previously thought that they could do anything, anything. They felt they had absolute impunity,\u201d Machado told a news conference in Norway. \u201cNow, they start to understand that this is serious and the world is really watching.\u201d <\/p>\n

She added that the costs for Maduro staying in power needed to be raised, and the costs of leaving power lowered: \u201cThat\u2019s where we\u2019re moving towards right now.\u201d <\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m not going to speculate on strategies or measures to be carried out by foreign countries in terms of foreign policy,\u201d she said in response to a different question about the United States\u2019 actions and unconfirmed speculation about whether the US have given Maduro a deadline to leave power. <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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Asked for her reaction to the Trump administration\u2019s seizure of an oil tanker<\/a> off the coast of Venezuela, opposition leader Mar\u00eda Corina Machado reiterated that she supports global actions to cut off sources of revenue flowing to Venezuela\u2019s oppressive government. <\/p>\n

\u201cThe regime is using the resources \u2014 the cash flows that come from illegal activities, including the black market of oil \u2014 not to give food for hungry children, not for teachers who earn $1 a day, not to hospitals in Venezuela that do not have medicine or water, not for security. They use those resources to repress and persecute our people,\u201d Machado said in a news conference in Oslo. <\/p>\n

\u201cWe know that our regime is supporting itself thanks to other authoritarian regimes. We need the support of all democracies in the world,\u201d Machado said. \u201cThat\u2019s why we are certainly asking the world to act.\u201d <\/p>\n

More background: <\/strong>Yesterday, US Attorney General Pam Bondi said the seized oil tanker had been sanctioned by the US for multiple years \u201cdue to its involvement in an illicit oil shipping network supporting foreign terrorist organizations,\u201d including Venezuela and Iran. <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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\"Maria<\/picture> <\/div>\n

Mar\u00eda Corina Machado said she got \u201csupport\u201d from the United States to travel to Norway to accept the Nobel Peace Prize this week, but declined to elaborate. <\/p>\n

\u201cI cannot give details, because these are people that could be harmed,\u201d Machado said of those who aided her travel. \u201cCertainly, the regime would have done everything to prevent me from coming. They did not know where I was in hiding in Venezuela, so it was hard for them to stop me.\u201d <\/p>\n

Machado left Venezuela on a fishing boat, after slipping through military checkpoints wearing a wig and a disguise, the Wall Street Journal reported<\/a>, citing a person close to the operation. She then took a private jet from Cura\u00e7ao to Norway, which made a pit stop in the United States, according to the WSJ. CNN has not independently confirmed the details of Machado\u2019s travel. <\/p>\n

Earlier, a representative from the Nobel committee said Machado had \u201cundergone quite some strain\u201d to get to Oslo. <\/p>\n

\u2022 Source: CNN<\/a> <\/span>” data-fave-thumbnails=”{“big”: { “uri”: “https:\/\/media.cnn.com\/api\/v1\/images\/stellar\/videothumbnails\/57277448-32254378-generated-thumbnail.jpg?c=16×9&q=h_540,w_960,c_fill” }, “small”: { “uri”: “https:\/\/media.cnn.com\/api\/v1\/images\/stellar\/videothumbnails\/57277448-32254378-generated-thumbnail.jpg?c=16×9&q=h_540,w_960,c_fill” } }” data-vr-video=”false” data-show-html=”” data-byline-html=”<\/p>\n
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Updated 12:45 PM EST, Thu December 11, 2025 <\/div>\n

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Machado says US ‘support’ helped her to get out of Venezuela <\/p>\n

00:24 <\/span> \u2022 Source: CNN<\/a> <\/span> <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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Machado says US ‘support’ helped her to get out of Venezuela<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

00:24 <\/span> <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

This post has been updated with additional details.<\/em> <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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Venezuelan opposition leader and Nobel laureate Mar\u00eda Corina Machado said she will be back in Venezuela very soon, speaking in Spanish during a Thursday press conference organized by the Nobel committee in Norway. <\/p>\n

\u201cAnd I know that you will also be back in Venezuela very soon, we\u2019re going to show the world that we do not only deserve this Nobel Prize, but that this generation will outlast what is going on,\u201d she added. <\/p>\n

The government of Nicol\u00e1s Maduro warned she would be considered a \u201cfugitive\u201d by authorities should she leave Venezuela. <\/p>\n

Machado said that she has met many Venezuelans on the streets in Oslo on Thursday, including people who told her \u201cthey are preparing their bags to come back home to build a nation that will be so proud.\u201d <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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Mar\u00eda Corina Machado is holding a second news conference in Oslo, organized by the Nobel committee. It is expected that she will speak in both English and Spanish. <\/p>\n

We\u2019ll bring you any more updates as we get them. <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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The Trump administration\u2019s seizure of an oil tanker<\/a> off Venezuela is one of the most dramatic twists yet in a military pressure campaign against leader Nicol\u00e1s Maduro. <\/p>\n

The boarding of a foreign ship is unusual and expands a US operation already highlighted by strikes against more than 20 boats<\/a> in the Caribbean and Pacific that the administration claims carried drug traffickers. <\/p>\n

While the tanker might not have been directly related to the showdown between Trump and Maduro, its interception will be seen in the context of a US naval buildup in the Caribbean, part of an apparent attempt to force Maduro out of power or to convince his subordinates to oust him. <\/p>\n

Millions of Venezuelans would welcome Maduro\u2019s departure after grim years under an authoritarian regime that has impoverished the country, imposed repression and forced millions of people to flee poverty and persecution. <\/p>\n

So, the Washington controversy over Trump\u2019s intentions in Venezuela is less about whether Maduro\u2019s exit after ignoring his loss in a democratic election would be beneficial and more about whether the US president is acting legally. Critics fear Trump is preparing to embroil America in another pronged foreign policy misadventure as he again seeks to flex unchecked executive power. <\/p>\n

Legal questions are most acute over the strikes against alleged drug traffickers in the Caribbean and Pacific Ocean that have killed 87 people. The administration insists at it is justified in using legal military force against what it brands as narco-terrorists that threaten American national security. But Venezuela is not regarded as a major fentanyl trafficking route into the US as the administration insists. <\/p>\n

Read more of Collinson\u2019s analysis<\/a>. <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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Retired US Air Force Col. Cedric Leighton told CNN that the US forces involved in seizing an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela yesterday were from an elite unit of the US Coast Guard. <\/p>\n

\u201cThese are basically the Coast Guard\u2019s version of special operations forces,\u201d Leighton told CNN\u2019s Kaitlan Collins. <\/p>\n

Asked by Collins to explain what is happening in a video of the moment the oil tanker was seized, which was posted by Attorney General Pam Bondi, Leighton said: \u201cThey\u2019re fast roping down from the helicopter onto the deck.\u201d <\/p>\n

He went on to describe how the units immediately entered \u201cthe pilot house, where the captain of the ship, the skipper of the ship, is actually steering it.\u201d <\/p>\n

\u201cThey take that over first basically to control the ship,\u201d said Leighton. <\/p>\n

Retired US Air Force Colonel Cedric Leighton explains the tactics American forces used to seize control of a sanctioned oil tanker off Venezuelan coast.<\/p>\n

” data-duration=”01:14″ data-source-html=” \u2022 Source: CNN<\/a> <\/span>” data-fave-thumbnails=”{“big”: { “uri”: “https:\/\/media.cnn.com\/api\/v1\/images\/stellar\/prod\/ap25345005998102.jpg?c=16×9&q=h_540,w_960,c_fill” }, “small”: { “uri”: “https:\/\/media.cnn.com\/api\/v1\/images\/stellar\/prod\/ap25345005998102.jpg?c=16×9&q=h_540,w_960,c_fill” } }” data-vr-video=”false” data-show-html=”” data-byline-html=”<\/p>\n

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Updated 12:45 PM EST, Thu December 11, 2025 <\/div>\n

” data-check-event-based-preview data-is-vertical-video-embed=”false” data-network-id data-publish-date=”2025-12-11T02:32:03.706Z” data-video-section=”politics” data-canonical-url=”https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2025\/12\/10\/politics\/video\/venezuela-oil-tanker-us-military-nicolas-maduro-caribbean-sea-iran-doj-us-coast-guard-kaitlan-collins” data-branding-key data-video-slug=”venezuela-oil-tanker-us-military-nicolas-maduro-caribbean-sea-iran-doj-us-coast-guard-kaitlan-collins” data-first-publish-slug=”venezuela-oil-tanker-us-military-nicolas-maduro-caribbean-sea-iran-doj-us-coast-guard-kaitlan-collins” data-video-tags data-breakpoints=”{“video-resource–media-extra-large”: 660}” data-display-video-cover=”true” data-details> <\/p>\n

Retired US Air Force Colonel Cedric Leighton explains the tactics American forces used to seize control of a sanctioned oil tanker off Venezuelan coast.<\/p>\n

” data-check-event-based-preview data-network-id data-publish-date=”2025-12-11T02:32:03.706Z” data-video-section=”politics” data-canonical-url=”https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2025\/12\/10\/politics\/video\/venezuela-oil-tanker-us-military-nicolas-maduro-caribbean-sea-iran-doj-us-coast-guard-kaitlan-collins” data-branding-key data-video-slug=”venezuela-oil-tanker-us-military-nicolas-maduro-caribbean-sea-iran-doj-us-coast-guard-kaitlan-collins” data-first-publish-slug=”venezuela-oil-tanker-us-military-nicolas-maduro-caribbean-sea-iran-doj-us-coast-guard-kaitlan-collins” data-video-tags> \"This<\/picture> <\/div>\n

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Analysis: Retired colonel breaks down video of US forces seizing oil tanker off Venezuelan coast <\/p>\n

01:14 <\/span> \u2022 Source: CNN<\/a> <\/span> <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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Analysis: Retired colonel breaks down video of US forces seizing oil tanker off Venezuelan coast<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

01:14 <\/span> <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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On Wednesday, US forces seized an oil tanker named The Skipper off the coast of Venezuela. <\/p>\n

Here\u2019s what we know about the ship:<\/em> <\/p>\n

The Skipper, previously named the Adisa, was sanctioned by the US in 2022 for facilitating oil trades for Hezbollah and Iran\u2019s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Quds Force. <\/p>\n

The ship was carrying Venezuelan crude and was headed to Cuba. It was ultimately destined for Asia after being brokered through Cuban sellers, a senior US official said. <\/p>\n

On November 18, the Skipper was seen on satellite imagery docked around seven miles from the coastal Venezuelan city of Barcelona, according to a satellite image provided by Planet Labs. But at the same time, the ship\u2019s Automatic Identification System (AIS) transponder was indicating it was located around 560 miles away, off the coast of Georgetown, Guyana. <\/p>\n

Analysts say oil tankers sometimes \u201cspoof\u201d their AIS location in an attempt to hide questionable or illegal activities. <\/p>\n

The tanker was flying a Guyana flag, despite not being registered in Guyana, the country\u2019s Maritime Administration Department said in a statement posted to Facebook. <\/p>\n

Prior to arriving in Venezuela, the Skipper docked in Egypt, the UAE and Hong Kong, according to shipping data. In early July, it appeared to loiter less than 15 miles off Iran\u2019s coast for several days. <\/p>\n

Read more about the seizure here<\/a>. <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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Venezuelan opposition leader Mar\u00eda Corina Machado has vowed that her country would soon be \u201cbright, democratic and free,\u201d<\/a> in her first news conference since arriving in Norway after narrowly missing the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony<\/a>. <\/p>\n

Machado, who has been in hiding for a year<\/a> following the disputed election of Venezuelan President Nicol\u00e1s Maduro, also committed to returning to her country<\/a>, whether or not Maduro is still in power. <\/p>\n

Asked by CNN if the Venezuelan government knows where she has been in hiding, Machado responded: \u201cI don\u2019t think they have known where I have been, and certainly they would have done everything to stop me from coming here.\u201d <\/p>\n

Asked if she would support US military intervention in Venezuela<\/a>, Machado skirted the question, instead calling on the international community to help stop the violence and sources of funding that sustain the Maduro government, without directly naming the US or commenting on the Trump administration\u2019s recent actions in the Caribbean. <\/p>\n

Machado also said Venezuela has already been \u201cinvaded\u201d by Russian and Iranian agents, terrorist groups, and Colombian drug cartels that operate with impunity and fund the regime. <\/p>\n

Her remarks come as the United States is escalating pressure on Maduro\u2019s regime, seizing an oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela on Wednesday<\/a>. <\/p>\n

What to watch next: <\/strong>The Venezuelan opposition leader concluded by saying that she would soon speak to more reporters in Spanish. <\/p>\n

Listen to what Maduro said about the Nobel Peace Prize:<\/strong> <\/p>\n

CNN asked Venezuelan President Nicol\u00e1s Maduro if he cared about the Nobel Peace Prize, ahead of opposition leader Mar\u00eda Corina Machado speaking in Oslo.<\/p>\n

” data-duration=”00:30″ data-source-html=” \u2022 Source: CNN<\/a> <\/span>” data-fave-thumbnails=”{“big”: { “uri”: “https:\/\/media.cnn.com\/api\/v1\/images\/stellar\/videothumbnails\/47487313-97911267-generated-thumbnail.jpg?c=16×9&q=h_540,w_960,c_fill” }, “small”: { “uri”: “https:\/\/media.cnn.com\/api\/v1\/images\/stellar\/videothumbnails\/47487313-97911267-generated-thumbnail.jpg?c=16×9&q=h_540,w_960,c_fill” } }” data-vr-video=”false” data-show-html=”” data-byline-html=”<\/p>\n

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Updated 12:45 PM EST, Thu December 11, 2025 <\/div>\n

” data-check-event-based-preview data-is-vertical-video-embed=”false” data-network-id data-publish-date=”2025-12-11T11:05:18.940Z” data-video-section=”world” data-canonical-url data-branding-key data-video-slug=”venezuela-maduro-caracas-rally-peace-prize-ldn-digvid” data-first-publish-slug=”venezuela-maduro-caracas-rally-peace-prize-ldn-digvid” data-video-tags data-breakpoints=”{“video-resource–media-extra-large”: 660}” data-display-video-cover=”true” data-details> <\/p>\n

CNN asked Venezuelan President Nicol\u00e1s Maduro if he cared about the Nobel Peace Prize, ahead of opposition leader Mar\u00eda Corina Machado speaking in Oslo.<\/p>\n

” data-check-event-based-preview data-network-id data-publish-date=”2025-12-11T11:05:18.940Z” data-video-section=”world” data-canonical-url data-branding-key data-video-slug=”venezuela-maduro-caracas-rally-peace-prize-ldn-digvid” data-first-publish-slug=”venezuela-maduro-caracas-rally-peace-prize-ldn-digvid” data-video-tags> \"clipped<\/picture> <\/div>\n

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Maduro tells CNN he believes in diplomacy at Caracas rally <\/p>\n

00:30 <\/span> \u2022 Source: CNN<\/a> <\/span> <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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Maduro tells CNN he believes in diplomacy at Caracas rally<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

00:30 <\/span> <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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\"Nobel<\/picture> <\/div>\n

Venezuelan opposition leader and Nobel laureate Mar\u00eda Corina Machado vowed to go back to Venezuela to \u201cbe with my people,\u201d whether or not the government of Nicol\u00e1s Maduro is still in power. <\/p>\n

It\u2019s not clear exactly how she made the journey to collect the Nobel Peace Prize in Norway, which Nobel organizers previously said \u201cinvolved extreme danger.\u201d <\/p>\n

\u201cAnd they [the Maduro government] will not know where I am. We have ways to do that, to take care of us,\u201d Machado added. <\/p>\n

Maduro\u2019s government has warned she would be considered a \u201cfugitive\u201d should she leave Venezuela. <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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Nobel Peace Prize winner Maria Corina Machado told CNN that the Venezuelan regime would have “done everything” to stop her coming to Oslo if they were aware of her whereabouts.<\/p>\n

” data-duration=”02:08″ data-source-html=” \u2022 Source: CNN<\/a> <\/span>” data-fave-thumbnails=”{“big”: { “uri”: “https:\/\/media.cnn.com\/api\/v1\/images\/stellar\/prod\/gettyimages-2250564088.jpg?c=16×9&q=h_540,w_960,c_fill” }, “small”: { “uri”: “https:\/\/media.cnn.com\/api\/v1\/images\/stellar\/prod\/gettyimages-2250564088.jpg?c=16×9&q=h_540,w_960,c_fill” } }” data-vr-video=”false” data-show-html=”” data-byline-html=”<\/p>\n

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Updated 12:45 PM EST, Thu December 11, 2025 <\/div>\n

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Nobel Peace Prize winner Maria Corina Machado told CNN that the Venezuelan regime would have “done everything” to stop her coming to Oslo if they were aware of her whereabouts.<\/p>\n

” data-check-event-based-preview data-network-id data-publish-date=”2025-12-11T09:56:51.058Z” data-video-section=”world” data-canonical-url=”https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2025\/12\/11\/world\/video\/nobelpeace” data-branding-key data-video-slug=”nobelpeace-machado-press-conference-intldsk” data-first-publish-slug=”nobelpeace” data-video-tags> \"Nobeby<\/picture> <\/div>\n

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Nobel Peace Prize laureate Mar\u00eda Corina Machado sats Venezuelan regime would \u201chave done everything\u201d to stop trip to Oslo <\/p>\n

02:08 <\/span> \u2022 Source: CNN<\/a> <\/span> <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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Nobel Peace Prize laureate Mar\u00eda Corina Machado sats Venezuelan regime would \u201chave done everything\u201d to stop trip to Oslo<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

02:08 <\/span> <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

Mar\u00eda Corina Machado said she doesn\u2019t think the Venezuelan government knows where she has been in hiding, telling CNN\u2019s Pau Mosquera in Oslo that \u201ccertainly they would have done everything to stop me from coming here.\u201d <\/p>\n

\u201cIt was quite an experience, but I think it\u2019s worthwhile being here with you, telling the world what\u2019s happening in Venezuela,\u201d Machado said of her journey to the Norwegian capital. <\/p>\n

The opposition leader has been in hiding after the Venezuelan government moved to crush dissent following last year\u2019s disputed election, resurfacing only once in January at a protest against President Nicol\u00e1s Maduro being sworn in for another term. Maduro\u2019s government has warned she would be considered a \u201cfugitive\u201d should she leave Venezuela. <\/p>\n

\u201cWhen you fight for freedom, you\u2019re fighting for humanity. And when we win \u2013 because we will \u2013 this will be an extraordinary example for those countries that today do not have freedom,\u201d she added. <\/p>\n

Nobel Peace Prize winner Mar\u00eda Corina Machado was asked by CNN if the Venezuelan government knew about her whereabouts as she went from hiding in the country to visiting Oslo after winning the Nobel Peace Prize. CNN\u2019s Pau Mosquera reports from Oslo.<\/p>\n

” data-duration=”01:31″ data-source-html=” \u2022 Source: CNN<\/a> <\/span>” data-fave-thumbnails=”{“big”: { “uri”: “https:\/\/media.cnn.com\/api\/v1\/images\/stellar\/prod\/thumbnail-machado-presser-peace-prize-3-vrtc.jpg?c=9×16” }, “small”: { “uri”: “https:\/\/media.cnn.com\/api\/v1\/images\/stellar\/prod\/thumbnail-machado-presser-peace-prize-3-vrtc.jpg?c=9×16″ } }” data-vr-video=”false” data-show-html=”” data-byline-html=”<\/p>\n

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Updated 12:45 PM EST, Thu December 11, 2025 <\/div>\n

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Nobel Peace Prize winner Mar\u00eda Corina Machado was asked by CNN if the Venezuelan government knew about her whereabouts as she went from hiding in the country to visiting Oslo after winning the Nobel Peace Prize. CNN\u2019s Pau Mosquera reports from Oslo.<\/p>\n

” data-check-event-based-preview data-network-id data-publish-date=”2025-12-11T14:27:07.062Z” data-video-section=”world” data-canonical-url=”https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2025\/12\/11\/world\/video\/nobel-peace-prize-machado-hiding-venezuela-maduro-mosquera-vrtc” data-branding-key data-video-slug=”nobel-peace-prize-machado-hiding-venezuela-maduro-mosquera-vrtc” data-first-publish-slug=”nobel-peace-prize-machado-hiding-venezuela-maduro-mosquera-vrtc” data-video-tags> \"thumbnail<\/picture> <\/div>\n

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Nobel Peace Prize winner talks about being in hiding <\/p>\n

Nobel Peace Prize winner Mar\u00eda Corina Machado was asked by CNN if the Venezuelan government knew about her whereabouts as she went from hiding in the country to visiting Oslo after winning the Nobel Peace Prize. CNN\u2019s Pau Mosquera reports from Oslo.<\/p>\n

01:31 <\/span> \u2022 Source: CNN<\/a> <\/span> <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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Nobel Peace Prize winner talks about being in hiding<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

01:31 <\/span> <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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\"Nobel<\/picture> <\/div>\n

Asked if she would support US military intervention in Venezuela, Mar\u00eda Corina Machado said only that she is asking the international community to help stop the violence, repression and sources of funding that sustain the regime of President Nicol\u00e1s Maduro. <\/p>\n

\u201cThis has turned Venezuela into the criminal hub of the Americas, and what sustained the regime is a very powerful and funded, strongly funded repression system,\u201d Machado said, claiming that the regime obtains funding through the oil market, arms trafficking and human trafficking. <\/p>\n

\u201cSo, we ask the international community to cut those sources, because the other regimes that support Maduro and the criminal structure are very active and have turned Venezuela into the safe haven for their operations,\u201d she added. <\/p>\n

In her response, Machado did not name the United States or directly express support for the Trump administration\u2019s recent actions in Venezuela. <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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\"Nobel<\/picture> <\/div>\n

Venezuelan opposition leader and Nobel laureate Mar\u00eda Corina Machado said on Thursday that Venezulea will soon be a \u201ca bright, democratic and free country.\u201d <\/p>\n

\u201cI long for that day, and we will host all of you in a bright, democratic and free country \u2013 and it\u2019s going to be soon.,\u201d Machado said in a press conference in Oslo, speaking alongside Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr St\u00f8re. <\/p>\n

\u201cYou cannot have democracy without freedom,\u201d she said. <\/p>\n

Machado, 58, missed Wednesday\u2019s Nobel Peace Prize acceptance ceremony by just hours, arriving in Oslo in the middle of the night after her daughter accepted the prize on her behalf. <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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