Nobel Organizers Unsure When Peace Prize Winner Will Arrive for Award Event

A planned media briefing by Nobel Peace Prize laureate María Corina Machado, who is currently in hiding, was cancelled on Tuesday. The award committee stated they are completely in the dark regarding her current location.

Machado, the leader of Venezuela's opposition, has been out of public view since the country's disputed 2024 election. She and her allies maintain the vote was stolen.

She was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her efforts to establish democracy to Venezuela and was anticipated to formally collect the award at a ceremony on Wednesday.

Despite frequently posting recorded messages on social media, typically against a neutral white wall, her precise location remains unknown.

"María Corina Machado has herself stated in interviews how challenging the journey to Oslo, Norway is likely to be," organizers said in a statement. "We therefore are unable to at this point provide any further information about when and how she will arrive for the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony."

The institute had previously 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 Potential Consequences

Venezuela's government have stated that if Machado left Venezuela, she would be considered a "fugitive" by the authorities. Her family members are already in Oslo.

Last month, Venezuela's top prosecutor, Tarek William Saab, informed a news agency that "Because she is outside Venezuela and having numerous criminal investigations, she is considered a fugitive." He stated she is accused of "acts of conspiracy, promoting hatred, as well as terrorism."

Potential Return and Visibility

Machado had previously told her supporters that she intended 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 most recent public appearance was at a protest in Caracas on 9 January, against the inauguration of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.

Election Backdrop

Following Venezuela's 2024 election, the opposition groups published tallies suggesting they had been victorious, despite Maduro declaring himself the winner. Several nations, including the United States, have acknowledged its candidate, Edmundo Gonzalez, as the duly elected president. Ms. Machado was prohibited from participating in that election.