Nobel Officials Uncertain When Peace Prize Winner Will Arrive for Award Event
A scheduled press conference by Peace Prize winner María Corina Machado, who is presently keeping a low profile, was cancelled on Tuesday. The Nobel Institute stated they are without any clear information regarding her whereabouts.
Machado, Venezuela's opposition leader, has been out of public view since the country's disputed 2024 election. She and her allies maintain the vote was stolen.
She was granted 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 video updates on social media, typically against a plain white wall, her precise location is unknown.
"María Corina Machado has herself stated in interviews how challenging the journey to Oslo, Norway will be," organizers said in a statement. "We therefore cannot at this point offer any further information about the timing or manner in which 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 remarked that "all indications are" the press conference would go ahead despite a delay.
Government Stance 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 having numerous criminal investigations, she is considered a fugitive." He added she is facing charges for "acts of conspiracy, promoting hatred, as well as terrorism."
Planned Comeback and Public Appearance
Machado had previously informed her supporters that she planned to return to Venezuela after collecting 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 demonstration in Caracas on 9 January, against the inauguration of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
Election Backdrop
Following Venezuela's 2024 election, the opposition groups released tallies suggesting they had been victorious, despite Maduro declaring himself the winner. 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.
