Nobel Organizers Unsure About When Peace Prize Laureate Will Arrive for Award Event
A planned media briefing by Peace Prize winner María Corina Machado, who is presently in hiding, was cancelled on Tuesday. The Nobel Institute stated they are without any clear information regarding her whereabouts.
Machado, Venezuela's opposition leader, has been out of public view since the country's disputed 2024 election. She and her supporters maintain the vote was fraudulently taken.
She was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her work to bring democracy to Venezuela and was anticipated to formally collect the award at a ceremony on Wednesday.
Despite regularly posting recorded messages on social media, typically in front of a plain white wall, her precise location is unknown.
"María Corina Machado has personally indicated in interviews how difficult the journey to Oslo, Norway is likely to be," organizers said in a statement. "We therefore are unable to at this point provide any additional information about the timing or manner in which she will arrive for the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony."
The institute had previously confirmed she would attend the ceremony in person. Earlier on Tuesday, a spokesman had commented that "everything suggests" the press conference would go ahead despite a delay.
Government Stance and Legal Threats
Venezuela's government have stated that if Machado left Venezuela, she would be deemed a "person fleeing justice" by the government. Her family members are reportedly in Oslo.
Last month, Venezuela's top prosecutor, Tarek William Saab, informed a news agency that "By being outside Venezuela and having numerous criminal investigations, she is considered a fugitive." He added she is accused of "acts of conspiracy, promoting hatred, as well as terrorism."
Planned Comeback and Visibility
Machado had earlier told her supporters that she intended to return to Venezuela after collecting the prize.
If she makes it to the ceremony, it would mark her first public appearance since January 2025. Her last public appearance was at a protest in Caracas on 9 January, against the swearing-in of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
Election Backdrop
Following Venezuela's 2024 election, the opposition groups released tallies indicating they had won, despite Maduro claiming victory. Several nations, such as the United States, have acknowledged its candidate, Edmundo Gonzalez, as the duly elected president. Ms. Machado was prohibited from running in that election.
