The Nobel Institute has said that the leak that preceded the announcement that Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado had been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize could "very likely" be linked to espionage. The organization has opened an investigation.

Is the Nobel Institute being bugged? The Nobel Prize Institute has opened an espionage investigation after the announcement that Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado had been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize was possibly leaked.

The organization explained that it was alerted by the sudden increase in prediction statistics available on the Polymarket platform. Indeed, the chances of Maria Corina Machado being awarded the prize had jumped from 3.75% to nearly 73% in just a few hours. Yet, no expert or media outlet had mentioned her among the favorites for the Nobel, which was awarded the next day in Oslo.

"This is most likely espionage," Nobel Institute director Kristian Berg Harpviken told Norwegian broadcaster TV2. "It's no secret that the Institute is a victim of espionage," he continued, adding that "this has been going on for decades."

In the past, names of potential candidates have emerged in the Norwegian media to general surprise, suggesting that the Institute may have been the victim of espionage, although nothing has been proven so far.

An investigation opened

The organization's director stated that an investigation would be conducted and that security could be increased depending on the outcome. A very small number of people know in advance the name of the winner, chosen by the five members of the Nobel Committee.

As a reminder, Maria Corina Machado, Venezuelan activist and political leader, was recognized for her "tireless work in defense of the democratic rights of the Venezuelan people and for her struggle for a just and peaceful transition from dictatorship to democracy," as the committee had emphasized.