Peace Prize Officials Unsure About When Nobel Laureate Will Arrive for Award Event

A scheduled media briefing by Nobel Peace Prize laureate María Corina Machado, who is presently 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 contested 2024 election. She and her allies assert the vote was fraudulently taken.

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 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 is likely to be," the Nobel Institute 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 commented that "everything suggests" the press conference would proceed despite a delay.

Government Stance and Legal Threats

Venezuela's government have declared that if Machado departed from Venezuela, she would be considered a "person fleeing justice" by the government. Her family members are reportedly in Oslo.

Last month, Venezuela's attorney general, Tarek William Saab, informed a news agency that "By being outside Venezuela and facing numerous criminal cases, she is regarded as a fugitive." He added she is facing charges for "alleged conspiracy, promoting hatred, and terrorism."

Planned Comeback and Public Appearance

Machado had earlier told her supporters that she planned 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 public appearance was at a protest in Caracas on 9 January, against the swearing-in of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.

Election Backdrop

Following Venezuela's 2024 election, the opposition released vote counts indicating they had won, despite Maduro claiming victory. Several nations, including the United States, have recognized its candidate, Edmundo Gonzalez, as the president-elect. Ms. Machado was prohibited from participating in that election.