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

A planned press conference by Nobel Peace Prize laureate María Corina Machado, who is currently in hiding, 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 maintain the vote was fraudulently taken.

She was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her efforts to establish democracy to Venezuela and was expected to receive in person the award at a ceremony on Wednesday.

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

"María Corina Machado has personally indicated 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 further information about the timing or manner in which she will come for the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony."

The institute had earlier stated 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 Legal Threats

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

Last month, Venezuela's top prosecutor, Tarek William Saab, informed a news agency that "Because she is outside Venezuela and having numerous criminal investigations, she is considered a fugitive." He stated she is accused of "alleged conspiracy, incitement of hatred, as well as terrorism."

Planned Comeback and Visibility

Machado had previously told her followers that she intended 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 appearance before cameras was at a demonstration in Caracas on 9 January, against the inauguration of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.

Election Backdrop

Following Venezuela's 2024 election, the opposition groups published 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 duly elected president. Ms. Machado was prohibited from running in that election.