Nobel Organizers Uncertain About When Peace Prize Winner Will Arrive for Award Event
A planned media briefing by Peace Prize winner María Corina Machado, who is currently in hiding, was cancelled on Tuesday. The award committee stated they are without any clear information regarding her whereabouts.
Machado, Venezuela's opposition leader, has been in hiding since the country's contested 2024 election. She and her supporters assert the vote was fraudulently taken.
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 ceremony on Wednesday.
Despite frequently posting video updates on social media, typically in front of a plain white wall, her exact location is unknown.
"María Corina Machado has herself stated 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 additional information about when and how she will arrive 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 Legal Threats
Venezuela's authorities have stated that if Machado left Venezuela, she would be deemed a "person fleeing justice" by the authorities. Her relatives 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 considered a fugitive." He stated she is accused of "alleged conspiracy, incitement of hatred, as well as terrorism."
Potential Return and Public Appearance
Machado had earlier informed her followers that she planned to return to Venezuela after collecting the prize.
If she attends the ceremony, it would mark her first public appearance since January 2025. Her last public appearance was at a protest in Caracas on 9 January, against the swearing-in of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
Political Context
Following Venezuela's 2024 election, the opposition released tallies suggesting they had won, despite Maduro declaring himself the winner. Several nations, such as the United States, have acknowledged its candidate, Edmundo Gonzalez, as the duly elected president. Ms. Machado was prohibited from running in that election.
