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

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

Machado, Venezuela's opposition leader, has been out of public view since the country's contested 2024 election. She and her supporters maintain the vote was stolen.

She was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her work to bring democracy to Venezuela and was expected to formally collect the award at a formal event on Wednesday.

Despite frequently posting recorded messages on social media, typically in front of a plain white wall, her precise location remains a mystery.

"María Corina Machado has herself stated in interviews how difficult the journey to Oslo, Norway is likely to be," organizers said in a statement. "We therefore cannot at this point provide any further information about when and how she will come for the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony."

The institute had previously confirmed she would be present at the ceremony in person. Earlier on Tuesday, a spokesman had remarked that "all indications are" 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 "person fleeing justice" 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 having numerous criminal cases, she is considered a fugitive." He added she is accused of "alleged conspiracy, promoting hatred, as well as terrorism."

Planned Comeback and Public Appearance

Machado had earlier told her followers that she intended to go back to Venezuela after collecting the prize.

If she attends the ceremony, it would mark her first public appearance since January 2025. Her last appearance before cameras 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 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 prohibited from running in that election.