Committee secretary says possible leak of Nobel Peace Prize is ‘extremely likely’ espionage.

A possible leak preceded the announcement of the Nobel Peace Prize for the Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado The Nobel Institute told Norwegian media on Saturday that it was “highly likely” the result of espionage.

Machado’s odds of winning the prize jumped from 3.75% to nearly 73% overnight Thursday for Frida, on the Polymarket predictive betting platform.

But no expert or media outlet mentioned her among the candidates to win the award that was announced a few hours later in Oslo.

“It is very likely that it is espionage,” Christian Berg Harpviken, director of the Nobel Institute and secretary of the Nobel Committee, told Norwegian broadcaster TV2.

The head of the Nobel Prize committee said on Friday that he did not believe Machado’s name had been leaked.

“I don’t think there have ever been any leaks in the entire history of the award. I can’t imagine that’s the case,” committee chairman Jürgen Watne Friedness told the NTB news agency.

However, the institute will conduct an investigation and “we will tighten security measures when necessary,” Harpviken said.

He added that espionage “may make it look as if someone inside was intentionally leaking information. This is unlikely.”

He added: “It is very certain that we can say so, but it is no secret that the Nobel Institute is subject to espionage.”

“It is clear that the institution is of interest to actors who want to obtain information, whether states or other organizations,” he said, adding that “the motives can be political and economic.”

“This has been going on for decades.”

Harpviken did not respond to AFP’s requests for comment.

A very limited number of people know in advance the name of the winner chosen by the five members of the Nobel Committee.

In the past, unexpected names of Nobel Prize nominees have appeared in the Norwegian media, sparking speculation about possible leaks. But this has not been the case in recent years.

The commission said Machado, an opposition leader who was barred from running in Venezuela’s 2024 presidential election, received the award “for her tireless work in promoting the democratic rights of the people of Venezuela and for her struggle to achieve a just and peaceful transition from dictatorship to democracy.”

A The video was shared on social media It showed Harpviken calling Machado on Friday morning to inform her that she had been selected for the coveted award. He looks visibly emotional while sharing the news during a phone call with Machado before announcing it to the world.

Machado can be heard saying during the call: “Oh my God. I have no words. Thank you so much.” “I hope you understand that this is a movement, and this is an achievement for an entire community. I’m just one person, and I certainly don’t deserve this. Oh my God.”