Peace Prize Officials Uncertain When Nobel Winner Will Arrive for Ceremony
A planned media briefing by Nobel Peace Prize laureate María Corina Machado, who is presently in hiding, was cancelled on Tuesday. The Nobel Institute stated they are completely in the dark 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 supporters assert the vote was fraudulently taken.
She was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her work to establish democracy to Venezuela and was anticipated to formally collect the award at a ceremony on Wednesday.
Despite frequently posting video updates on social media, typically in front of a neutral white wall, her precise location remains a mystery.
"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 cannot at this point offer any further information about when and how she will arrive for the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony."
The institute had previously stated she would be present at the ceremony physically. Earlier on Tuesday, a spokesman had remarked that "everything suggests" the press conference would proceed despite a delay.
Government Stance and Legal Threats
Venezuela's government have declared that if Machado departed from Venezuela, she would be deemed a "person fleeing justice" by the government. Her family members are already in Oslo.
Last month, Venezuela's top prosecutor, Tarek William Saab, told a news agency that "Because she is outside Venezuela and having numerous criminal investigations, she is considered a fugitive." He added she is facing charges for "acts of conspiracy, incitement of hatred, as well as terrorism."
Potential Return and Visibility
Machado had previously told her supporters that she intended to go back to Venezuela after collecting the prize.
If she attends the ceremony, it would mark her first public appearance since January 2025. Her last appearance before cameras 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 vote counts suggesting they had won, despite Maduro declaring himself the winner. Several nations, such as the United States, have recognized its candidate, Edmundo Gonzalez, as the president-elect. Ms. Machado was prohibited from running in that election.
