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

A scheduled media briefing by Peace Prize winner María Corina Machado, who is presently in hiding, was called off on Tuesday. The Nobel Institute stated they are without any clear information regarding her current location.

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

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

Despite regularly posting video updates on social media, typically against a plain white wall, her exact location remains a mystery.

"María Corina Machado has personally indicated in interviews how challenging 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 when and how she will arrive 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 proceed despite a delay.

Official Position and Potential Consequences

Venezuela's authorities have declared that if Machado departed from Venezuela, she would be deemed a "fugitive" by the authorities. Her family members are reportedly in Oslo.

Last month, Venezuela's top prosecutor, Tarek William Saab, informed a news agency that "Because she is outside Venezuela and facing numerous criminal cases, she is regarded as a fugitive." He stated she is facing charges for "alleged conspiracy, promoting hatred, and terrorism."

Potential Return and Visibility

Machado had earlier told her supporters that she intended 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 most recent public appearance was at a demonstration in Caracas on 9 January, against the inauguration of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.

Election Backdrop

Following Venezuela's 2024 election, the opposition groups released tallies suggesting they had won, despite Maduro declaring himself the winner. Several nations, such as the United States, have recognized its candidate, Edmundo Gonzalez, as the duly elected president. Ms. Machado was banned from running in that election.