Nobel Officials Unsure About When Peace Prize Winner Is to Arrive for Ceremony

A planned media briefing by Peace Prize winner María Corina Machado, who is presently in hiding, was cancelled on Tuesday. The award committee stated they are without any clear information regarding her current location.

Machado, the leader of Venezuela's opposition, has been in hiding since the country's contested 2024 election. She and her allies maintain the vote was fraudulently taken.

She was granted the Nobel Peace Prize for her efforts to bring democracy to Venezuela and was expected to formally collect the award at a formal event on Wednesday.

Despite regularly posting video updates on social media, typically against a neutral white wall, her precise location is unknown.

"María Corina Machado has herself stated in interviews how challenging the journey to Oslo, Norway is likely to be," the Nobel Institute 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 come for the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony."

The institute had previously stated she would be present at the ceremony in person. Earlier on Tuesday, a spokesman had commented that "everything suggests" the press conference would proceed despite a delay.

Official Position and Legal Threats

Venezuela's authorities have stated that if Machado left Venezuela, she would be considered a "person fleeing justice" by the authorities. Her relatives are reportedly in Oslo.

Last month, Venezuela's attorney general, Tarek William Saab, told a news agency that "By being outside Venezuela and having numerous criminal cases, she is regarded as a fugitive." He stated she is facing charges for "alleged conspiracy, incitement of hatred, as well as terrorism."

Potential Return and Visibility

Machado had previously told her followers that she intended to go back to Venezuela after receiving the prize.

If she attends the ceremony, it would mark her initial return to the public eye since January 2025. Her last appearance before cameras was at a protest in Caracas on 9 January, opposing the inauguration of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.

Political Context

Following Venezuela's 2024 election, the opposition groups published vote counts suggesting they had been victorious, despite Maduro declaring himself the winner. Several nations, such as the United States, have acknowledged its candidate, Edmundo Gonzalez, as the president-elect. Ms. Machado was prohibited from running in that election.