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

A scheduled media briefing by Nobel Peace Prize laureate María Corina Machado, who is currently keeping a low profile, was called off on Tuesday. The Nobel Institute stated they are completely in the dark regarding her current location.

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

She was granted the Nobel Peace Prize for her efforts to bring democracy to Venezuela and was anticipated to receive in person the award at a ceremony on Wednesday.

Despite frequently posting video updates on social media, typically against a plain white wall, her precise location remains unknown.

"María Corina Machado has personally indicated in interviews how difficult the journey to Oslo, Norway is likely to be," the Nobel Institute said in a statement. "We therefore cannot 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 previously stated she would be present at the ceremony physically. Earlier on Tuesday, a spokesman had remarked that "all indications are" the press conference would go ahead despite a delay.

Official Position and Legal Threats

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

Last month, Venezuela's attorney general, Tarek William Saab, informed a news agency that "By being outside Venezuela and facing numerous criminal investigations, she is regarded as a fugitive." He added she is accused of "alleged conspiracy, promoting hatred, as well as terrorism."

Potential Return and Visibility

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

If she makes it to the ceremony, it would mark her first public appearance since January 2025. Her most recent appearance before cameras was at a protest in Caracas on 9 January, opposing the swearing-in of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.

Election Backdrop

Following Venezuela's 2024 election, the opposition groups released vote counts indicating they had won, despite Maduro declaring himself the winner. Several nations, such as the United States, have recognized its candidate, Edmundo Gonzalez, as the president-elect. Ms. Machado was banned from participating in that election.