Nobel Officials Unsure When Peace Prize Winner Is to Arrive for Award Event
A scheduled media briefing by Nobel Peace Prize laureate María Corina Machado, who is currently in hiding, was cancelled on Tuesday. The Nobel Institute stated they are without any clear information regarding her current location.
Machado, Venezuela's opposition leader, has been out of public view since the country's disputed 2024 election. She and her allies assert the vote was stolen.
She was granted the Nobel Peace Prize for her efforts to establish democracy to Venezuela and was expected to receive in person the award at a formal event on Wednesday.
Despite regularly posting recorded messages on social media, typically in front of a plain white wall, her exact location remains a mystery.
"María Corina Machado has herself stated 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 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 remarked that "all indications are" the press conference would go ahead despite a delay.
Official Position and Potential Consequences
Venezuela's government have declared that if Machado left Venezuela, she would be considered a "fugitive" by the government. Her relatives are already in Oslo.
Last month, Venezuela's attorney general, Tarek William Saab, informed a news agency that "By being outside Venezuela and having numerous criminal investigations, she is regarded as a fugitive." He stated she is facing charges for "acts of conspiracy, promoting hatred, as well as terrorism."
Potential Return and Visibility
Machado had earlier 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 demonstration in Caracas on 9 January, opposing the inauguration of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
Political Context
Following Venezuela's 2024 election, the opposition published vote counts suggesting they had been victorious, despite Maduro declaring himself the winner. Several nations, including the United States, have recognized its candidate, Edmundo Gonzalez, as the duly elected president. Ms. Machado was prohibited from running in that election.
