The possible leak before the announcement of the Nobel Peace Prize for Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado was"very likely" the result of espionage, the Norwegian Nobel Institute said Saturday.
The chances of Machado winning the prize within a few hours increased from 3.75% to around 73% on Thursday night on the Polymarket predictive betting platform.
It should be said that no expert or media outlet had mentioned her among the favorites for the Nobel Prize which would be announced hours later.
This is what the Nobel Institute said about possible espionage in the María Corina case
"This is most likely espionage," Nobel Institute director Kristian Berg Harpviken told Norwegian television channel TV2.
"It's no secret that the Institute is a victim of espionage," he stated, before adding that"this has been going on for decades."
For Director Harpviken, it is clear that"the institution is of interest to actors eager to obtain information, whether they are states or other organizations." He added: "The motivations can be both political and economic."
Given the circumstances, the director assured that an investigation will be launched."If necessary, we will further strengthen security," he added.
Why the suspicion of a possible leak and espionage?
In context, a very limited number of people know the name of the awardee in advance by the five members of the committee.
In the past, unexpected names of potential Nobel Prize winners have surfaced in the Norwegian media, fueling speculation about leaks, but this has not been the case in recent years.
In fact, this year 338 people and organizations were nominated for the Peace Prize, a list that remains secret for 50 years.
Tens of thousands of people can nominate candidates, including legislators and cabinet members from all countries, former laureates, some university professors, and members of the award committee.
According to AFP, by 2025 there is talk of organizations and individuals such as the Sudan Emergency Response Rooms, a network of volunteers who risk their lives to help people facing war and famine, as well as Yulia Navalnaia, widow of Kremlin critic Alexei Navalny.
Machado learned of the award just five minutes before the announcement; this is how the call went.
Machado, an opposition leader who was unable to run in Venezuela's 2024 presidential elections, was honored"for her tireless work promoting democratic rights for the people of Venezuela, and for her struggle to achieve a just and peaceful transition from dictatorship to democracy," Norwegian Nobel Committee chairman Jørgen Watne Frydnes announced Friday.
In fact, it was Kristian Berg Harpviken himself, director of the Nobel Institute, who called María Corina Machado to give her the good news that she had been awarded the prize just five minutes before the official announcement was made to the entire world.
In an emotional call, Berg spoke with a faltering voice to a newly awakened María Corina:"I'm calling to inform you that, in a few minutes, it will be announced that you will be awarded the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize," the Committee director told her.
María Paula Rodríguez Rozo
