Peace Prize Officials Unsure When Peace Prize Winner Is to Arrive for Ceremony
A scheduled press conference by Nobel Peace Prize laureate María Corina Machado, who is presently keeping a low profile, was cancelled on Tuesday. The award committee stated they are completely in the dark regarding her whereabouts.
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 stolen.
She was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her efforts to bring democracy to Venezuela and was expected to receive in person the award at a formal event on Wednesday.
Despite regularly posting video updates on social media, typically against a neutral white wall, her exact 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 are unable to at this point offer any further information about the timing or manner in which she will come for the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony."
The institute had previously confirmed she would attend the ceremony in person. Earlier on Tuesday, a spokesman had commented that "all indications are" the press conference would proceed despite a delay.
Official Position and Potential Consequences
Venezuela's government have stated that if Machado departed from Venezuela, she would be deemed a "fugitive" by the government. Her family members are already in Oslo.
Last month, Venezuela's top prosecutor, Tarek William Saab, informed a news agency that "By being outside Venezuela and facing numerous criminal investigations, she is regarded as a fugitive." He stated she is accused of "acts of conspiracy, incitement of hatred, and terrorism."
Planned Comeback and Visibility
Machado had earlier told her followers that she intended to go back to Venezuela after collecting the prize.
If she attends 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.
Election Backdrop
Following Venezuela's 2024 election, the opposition released 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 duly elected president. Ms. Machado was banned from running in that election.