Nobel Organizers Uncertain 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 called off 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 awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her work to bring democracy to Venezuela and was expected to receive in person the award at a ceremony on Wednesday.

Despite frequently posting video updates on social media, typically in front of a neutral white wall, her exact location remains unknown.

"María Corina Machado has herself stated in interviews how difficult the journey to Oslo, Norway will be," organizers said in a statement. "We therefore cannot at this point offer any further information about the timing or manner in which she will arrive for the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony."

The institute had earlier confirmed she would be present at the ceremony in person. 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 authorities have declared that if Machado departed from Venezuela, she would be considered a "fugitive" by the government. Her family members are already in Oslo.

Last month, Venezuela's attorney general, Tarek William Saab, informed a news agency that "Because she is outside Venezuela and having numerous criminal cases, she is considered a fugitive." He stated she is facing charges for "acts of conspiracy, incitement of hatred, and terrorism."

Potential Return and Visibility

Machado had earlier informed her followers that she planned to go back to Venezuela after receiving 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 demonstration in Caracas on 9 January, opposing the inauguration of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.

Political Context

Following Venezuela's 2024 election, the opposition released vote counts indicating they had won, 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 banned from participating in that election.