Nobel Organizers Uncertain When Peace Prize Laureate Is to Arrive for Ceremony
A scheduled press conference by Nobel Peace Prize laureate María Corina Machado, who is presently in hiding, was cancelled 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 disputed 2024 election. She and her supporters maintain the vote was fraudulently taken.
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 frequently posting recorded messages on social media, typically against a neutral white wall, her precise location is unknown.
"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 are unable to at this point provide any further information about the timing or manner in which she will come for the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony."
The institute had previously confirmed she would attend the ceremony in person. Earlier on Tuesday, a spokesman had remarked that "all indications are" the press conference would go ahead despite a delay.
Government Stance and Legal Threats
Venezuela's authorities have stated that if Machado departed from Venezuela, she would be deemed a "person fleeing justice" by the authorities. Her relatives are already in Oslo.
Last month, Venezuela's top prosecutor, Tarek William Saab, told a news agency that "By being outside Venezuela and having numerous criminal investigations, she is regarded as a fugitive." He stated she is accused of "acts of conspiracy, incitement of hatred, as well as terrorism."
Planned Comeback and Visibility
Machado had earlier informed her followers 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 last appearance before cameras was at a protest in Caracas on 9 January, against the inauguration of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
Political Context
Following Venezuela's 2024 election, the opposition groups published tallies indicating they had won, despite Maduro claiming victory. Several nations, such as the United States, have acknowledged its candidate, Edmundo Gonzalez, as the president-elect. Ms. Machado was prohibited from running in that election.
