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

A planned press conference by Peace Prize winner María Corina Machado, who is currently in hiding, was called off 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 out of public view since the country's contested 2024 election. She and her supporters maintain the vote was fraudulently taken.

She was granted the Nobel Peace Prize for her efforts to bring democracy to Venezuela and was expected to receive in person the award at a formal event on Wednesday.

Despite regularly posting recorded messages on social media, typically against a neutral white wall, her exact location remains a mystery.

"María Corina Machado has personally indicated in interviews how challenging the journey to Oslo, Norway is likely to be," the Nobel Institute said in a statement. "We therefore cannot at this point provide any additional information about the timing or manner in which she will arrive for the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony."

The institute had previously confirmed she would be present at the ceremony physically. 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 stated that if Machado departed from Venezuela, she would be deemed a "fugitive" by the authorities. 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 facing numerous criminal cases, she is regarded as a fugitive." He stated she is facing charges for "acts of conspiracy, incitement of hatred, as well as terrorism."

Planned Comeback and Public Appearance

Machado had previously informed her supporters that she planned to go back to Venezuela after receiving the prize.

If she makes it to the ceremony, it would mark her first public appearance since January 2025. Her most recent appearance before cameras was at a demonstration in Caracas on 9 January, opposing the swearing-in of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.

Election Backdrop

Following Venezuela's 2024 election, the opposition groups released tallies suggesting they had won, despite Maduro claiming victory. Several nations, including the United States, have acknowledged its candidate, Edmundo Gonzalez, as the president-elect. Ms. Machado was banned from participating in that election.