Nobel Officials Unsure About When Peace Prize Winner Is to Arrive for Ceremony
A scheduled media briefing by Peace Prize winner 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, Venezuela's opposition leader, has been in hiding 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 receive in person the award at a formal event on Wednesday.
Despite regularly posting recorded messages on social media, typically in front of a neutral white wall, her exact location is a mystery.
"María Corina Machado has herself stated in interviews how difficult the journey to Oslo, Norway will be," the Nobel Institute said in a statement. "We therefore are unable to 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 physically. Earlier on Tuesday, a spokesman had commented that "all indications are" the press conference would go ahead despite a delay.
Official Position and Potential Consequences
Venezuela's authorities have stated that if Machado left Venezuela, she would be deemed a "fugitive" by the government. Her relatives are already 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 regarded as a fugitive." He added she is facing charges for "alleged conspiracy, promoting hatred, and terrorism."
Planned Comeback and Visibility
Machado had earlier informed her followers that she intended to return to Venezuela after collecting the prize.
If she makes it to the ceremony, it would mark her initial return to the public eye since January 2025. Her most recent public appearance was at a demonstration in Caracas on 9 January, opposing the inauguration of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
Election Backdrop
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 duly elected president. Ms. Machado was prohibited from running in that election.
