Nobel Organizers Uncertain About When Peace Prize Laureate Will Arrive for Award Event

A scheduled press conference by Peace Prize winner María Corina Machado, who is presently keeping a low profile, was cancelled on Tuesday. The award committee stated they are without any clear information regarding her whereabouts.

Machado, Venezuela's opposition leader, has been out of public view since the country's disputed 2024 election. She and her allies assert the vote was fraudulently taken.

She was granted the Nobel Peace Prize for her efforts to establish democracy to Venezuela and was anticipated to formally collect 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 precise location is unknown.

"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 remarked that "everything suggests" the press conference would proceed despite a delay.

Government Stance and Legal Threats

Venezuela's government have declared that if Machado left Venezuela, she would be deemed a "fugitive" by the government. Her family members are already in Oslo.

Last month, Venezuela's attorney general, Tarek William Saab, informed 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 "alleged conspiracy, promoting hatred, as well as terrorism."

Potential Return and Public Appearance

Machado had previously told her supporters 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 swearing-in of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.

Political Context

Following Venezuela's 2024 election, the opposition released vote counts indicating they had been victorious, 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.