Nobel Organizers Uncertain About When Peace Prize Laureate Is to Arrive for Award Event
A planned 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 completely in the dark regarding her current location.
Machado, the leader of Venezuela's opposition, has been out of public view since the country's disputed 2024 election. She and her allies maintain the vote was fraudulently taken.
She was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her work to establish 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 precise 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 provide 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 physically. Earlier on Tuesday, a spokesman had remarked 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 departed from Venezuela, she would be considered a "fugitive" by the government. Her relatives 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 cases, she is regarded as a fugitive." He added she is accused of "acts of conspiracy, promoting hatred, and terrorism."
Potential Return and Visibility
Machado had earlier told her supporters that she intended to go back to Venezuela after receiving the prize.
If she makes it to the ceremony, it would mark her initial return to the public eye since January 2025. Her last appearance before cameras was at a demonstration in Caracas on 9 January, opposing 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 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 prohibited from participating in that election.
