Nobel Officials Uncertain When Nobel Winner Will Arrive for Award Event

A scheduled media briefing by Peace Prize winner María Corina Machado, who is presently in hiding, was cancelled 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 granted the Nobel Peace Prize for her work to establish democracy to Venezuela and was expected to formally collect 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 is a mystery.

"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 are unable to at this point offer any further information about when and how 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 proceed despite a delay.

Government Stance and Legal Threats

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

Last month, Venezuela's top prosecutor, 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 "alleged conspiracy, incitement of hatred, and terrorism."

Planned Comeback and Public Appearance

Machado had previously informed her followers 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 most recent public appearance 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 published tallies suggesting they had won, despite Maduro claiming victory. Several nations, such as the United States, have acknowledged its candidate, Edmundo Gonzalez, as the president-elect. Ms. Machado was banned from participating in that election.