Peace Prize Officials Uncertain About When Nobel Winner Will Arrive for Award Event

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

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

She was awarded 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 plain white wall, her precise location is unknown.

"María Corina Machado has herself stated in interviews how difficult the journey to Oslo, Norway will be," organizers said in a statement. "We therefore are unable to 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 earlier stated she would attend the ceremony in person. Earlier on Tuesday, a spokesman had commented that "all indications are" the press conference would go ahead despite a delay.

Government Stance and Potential Consequences

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

Last month, Venezuela's attorney general, Tarek William Saab, informed a news agency that "Because she is outside Venezuela and facing numerous criminal cases, she is considered a fugitive." He stated she is accused of "acts of conspiracy, promoting hatred, as well as terrorism."

Planned Comeback and Visibility

Machado had previously informed her followers that she intended to go back 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, against the swearing-in of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.

Election Backdrop

Following Venezuela's 2024 election, the opposition released vote counts suggesting they had been victorious, despite Maduro declaring himself the winner. Several nations, including the United States, have acknowledged its candidate, Edmundo Gonzalez, as the president-elect. Ms. Machado was prohibited from participating in that election.