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

A scheduled media briefing by Peace Prize winner María Corina Machado, who is presently in hiding, was called off on Tuesday. The Nobel Institute 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 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 anticipated to formally collect the award at a ceremony on Wednesday.

Despite regularly posting video updates on social media, typically in front of a plain white wall, her exact location is unknown.

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

The institute had previously confirmed she would be present at the ceremony physically. Earlier on Tuesday, a spokesman had remarked that "everything suggests" the press conference would proceed despite a delay.

Official Position and Legal Threats

Venezuela's authorities have declared that if Machado departed from Venezuela, she would be considered a "person fleeing justice" by the authorities. Her relatives are reportedly in Oslo.

Last month, Venezuela's top prosecutor, Tarek William Saab, informed a news agency that "By being outside Venezuela and having numerous criminal cases, she is regarded as a fugitive." He added she is accused of "acts of conspiracy, promoting hatred, as well as terrorism."

Planned Comeback and Public Appearance

Machado had previously told her followers that she planned 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 last public appearance was at a protest 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 declaring himself the winner. Several nations, such as the United States, have acknowledged its candidate, Edmundo Gonzalez, as the duly elected president. Ms. Machado was prohibited from running in that election.