Nobel Officials Uncertain When Peace Prize Laureate Is to 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, the leader of Venezuela's opposition, has been in hiding since the country's disputed 2024 election. She and her supporters maintain the vote was stolen.
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 in front of a neutral white wall, her precise location is unknown.
"María Corina Machado has personally indicated in interviews how difficult the journey to Oslo, Norway will be," the Nobel Institute said in a statement. "We therefore cannot at this point offer any further information about the timing or manner in which she will come for the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony."
The institute had previously confirmed she would attend the ceremony in person. Earlier on Tuesday, a spokesman had remarked that "everything suggests" the press conference would go ahead despite a delay.
Official Position and Potential Consequences
Venezuela's authorities have declared that if Machado left 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 "By being outside Venezuela and facing numerous criminal investigations, she is regarded as a fugitive." He stated she is accused of "acts of conspiracy, incitement of hatred, as well as terrorism."
Planned Comeback and Public Appearance
Machado had earlier told her followers 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 protest in Caracas on 9 January, against the inauguration of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
Election Backdrop
Following Venezuela's 2024 election, the opposition published vote counts suggesting they had won, despite Maduro claiming victory. Several nations, such as the United States, have recognized its candidate, Edmundo Gonzalez, as the president-elect. Ms. Machado was banned from running in that election.
