Peace Prize Officials Unsure When Peace Prize Laureate Is to 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, Venezuela's opposition leader, has been in hiding since the country's contested 2024 election. She and her supporters assert the vote was stolen.

She was granted the Nobel Peace Prize for her efforts to establish democracy to Venezuela and was expected to formally collect the award at a formal event on Wednesday.

Despite frequently posting video updates on social media, typically in front of a neutral white wall, her precise location remains unknown.

"María Corina Machado has herself stated in interviews how challenging the journey to Oslo, Norway will be," the Nobel Institute 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 stated she would attend the ceremony physically. Earlier on Tuesday, a spokesman had commented that "all indications are" 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 deemed a "fugitive" by the government. Her relatives are already in Oslo.

Last month, Venezuela's top prosecutor, Tarek William Saab, told a news agency that "Because she is outside Venezuela and facing numerous criminal cases, she is considered a fugitive." He stated she is facing charges for "alleged conspiracy, promoting hatred, as well as terrorism."

Potential Return and Visibility

Machado had previously informed her supporters that she intended to go back to Venezuela after collecting the prize.

If she makes it to the ceremony, it would mark her first public appearance since January 2025. Her last appearance before cameras was at a demonstration in Caracas on 9 January, against the inauguration of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.

Political Context

Following Venezuela's 2024 election, the opposition groups published tallies indicating they had won, despite Maduro claiming victory. Several nations, such as the United States, have acknowledged its candidate, Edmundo Gonzalez, as the duly elected president. Ms. Machado was prohibited from participating in that election.