Peace Prize Organizers Unsure When Peace Prize Laureate Will Arrive for Ceremony
A planned media briefing by Peace Prize winner María Corina Machado, who is presently keeping a low profile, was cancelled on Tuesday. The award committee 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 disputed 2024 election. She and her supporters maintain the vote was fraudulently taken.
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 formal event on Wednesday.
Despite frequently posting video updates on social media, typically against a neutral white wall, her precise location remains a mystery.
"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 arrive for the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony."
The institute had earlier confirmed she would attend the ceremony physically. Earlier on Tuesday, a spokesman had commented that "everything suggests" 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 "person fleeing justice" by the government. Her family members are already in Oslo.
Last month, Venezuela's attorney general, Tarek William Saab, told a news agency that "By being outside Venezuela and having numerous criminal investigations, she is regarded as a fugitive." He stated she is facing charges for "alleged conspiracy, incitement of hatred, as well as terrorism."
Potential Return and Visibility
Machado had previously told 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 first public appearance since January 2025. Her most recent appearance before cameras 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 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.
