María Corina Machado

Nobel Peace Prize laureate Maria Corina Machado suffered a fractured vertebra while fleeing Venezuela by boat last week to attend events linked to the award in Norway, her spokesperson confirmed on Monday.

The injury occurred during a perilous sea journey taken in defiance of a long standing travel ban imposed by Venezuelan authorities. Machado ultimately reached Oslo but arrived too late for the official Nobel Peace Prize ceremony held on Wednesday.

According to Norwegian newspaper Aftenposten, doctors in Oslo diagnosed a fracture in her back after examining her upon arrival. The paper cited sources familiar with the matter and reported …