Peace Prize Officials Unsure About When Peace Prize Winner Is to Arrive for Award Event

A planned press conference by Nobel Peace Prize laureate María Corina Machado, who is currently keeping a low profile, was called off on Tuesday. The Nobel Institute stated they are without any clear information regarding her current location.

Machado, Venezuela's opposition leader, has been in hiding since the country's contested 2024 election. She and her supporters assert the vote was stolen.

She was granted the Nobel Peace Prize for her work to bring democracy to Venezuela and was anticipated to formally collect the award at a ceremony on Wednesday.

Despite frequently posting video updates on social media, typically in front of a neutral white wall, her exact location is unknown.

"María Corina Machado has personally indicated in interviews how difficult the journey to Oslo, Norway will be," organizers 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 earlier confirmed she would attend the ceremony physically. Earlier on Tuesday, a spokesman had remarked that "all indications are" the press conference would go ahead despite a delay.

Government Stance and Potential Consequences

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

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

Potential Return and Public Appearance

Machado had previously informed her followers that she planned to return to Venezuela after receiving the prize.

If she makes it to the ceremony, it would mark her first public appearance 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.

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 president-elect. Ms. Machado was prohibited from participating in that election.