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

A planned press conference by Nobel Peace Prize laureate María Corina Machado, who is currently in hiding, was called off on Tuesday. The award committee 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 supporters assert the vote was stolen.

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

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

"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 provide any additional information about the timing or manner in which she will arrive for the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony."

The institute had earlier stated she would attend the ceremony in person. Earlier on Tuesday, a spokesman had remarked that "all indications are" the press conference would proceed despite a delay.

Government Stance and Legal Threats

Venezuela's government have stated that if Machado left Venezuela, she would be deemed a "fugitive" by the authorities. Her relatives are reportedly in Oslo.

Last month, Venezuela's attorney general, Tarek William Saab, told a news agency that "Because she is outside Venezuela and facing numerous criminal investigations, she is considered a fugitive." He stated she is accused of "alleged conspiracy, incitement of hatred, as well as terrorism."

Planned Comeback and Public Appearance

Machado had earlier told her followers that she planned to return to Venezuela after collecting the prize.

If she makes it to the ceremony, it would mark her first public appearance since January 2025. Her most recent 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 published vote counts indicating they had won, despite Maduro claiming victory. Several nations, including the United States, have acknowledged its candidate, Edmundo Gonzalez, as the duly elected president. Ms. Machado was banned from running in that election.