Peace Prize Organizers Uncertain When Peace Prize Winner Is to Arrive for Award Event

A planned media briefing by Peace Prize winner María Corina Machado, who is presently keeping a low profile, was cancelled 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 allies assert 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 ceremony on Wednesday.

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

"María Corina Machado has personally indicated in interviews how challenging the journey to Oslo, Norway is likely to be," the Nobel Institute said in a statement. "We therefore cannot at this point provide any additional information about when and how she will arrive for the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony."

The institute had earlier stated she would be present at the ceremony in person. Earlier on Tuesday, a spokesman had commented that "everything suggests" the press conference would proceed despite a delay.

Official Position and Potential Consequences

Venezuela's authorities 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 attorney general, Tarek William Saab, informed a news agency that "By being outside Venezuela and having numerous criminal investigations, she is considered a fugitive." He stated she is accused of "acts of conspiracy, incitement of hatred, and terrorism."

Potential Return and Visibility

Machado had previously informed her followers that she planned to return to Venezuela after collecting the prize.

If she attends the ceremony, it would mark her initial return to the public eye since January 2025. Her last public appearance was at a demonstration in Caracas on 9 January, opposing the swearing-in of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.

Election Backdrop

Following Venezuela's 2024 election, the opposition published tallies suggesting they had won, despite Maduro declaring himself the winner. Several nations, including the United States, have acknowledged its candidate, Edmundo Gonzalez, as the duly elected president. Ms. Machado was prohibited from running in that election.