Nobel Officials Unsure When Peace Prize Winner Is to Arrive for Ceremony
A scheduled media briefing by Nobel Peace Prize laureate MarÃa Corina Machado, who is currently in hiding, was called off on Tuesday. The Nobel Institute stated they are without any clear information regarding her current location.
Machado, Venezuela's opposition leader, has been in hiding since the country's contested 2024 election. She and her allies assert 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 ceremony on Wednesday.
Despite frequently posting recorded messages on social media, typically in front of a plain white wall, her precise location remains unknown.
"MarÃa Corina Machado has herself stated in interviews how challenging the journey to Oslo, Norway will be," the Nobel Institute said in a statement. "We therefore cannot at this point offer any additional information about the timing or manner in which she will come for the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony."
The institute had earlier confirmed she would be present at the ceremony in person. Earlier on Tuesday, a spokesman had commented that "everything suggests" the press conference would proceed despite a delay.
Official Position and Potential Consequences
Venezuela's authorities have declared that if Machado left Venezuela, she would be considered a "person fleeing justice" by the government. 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 cases, she is considered a fugitive." He added she is accused of "acts of conspiracy, incitement of hatred, as well as terrorism."
Planned Comeback and Visibility
Machado had previously informed her supporters that she planned to go back to Venezuela after receiving the prize.
If she attends the ceremony, it would mark her first public appearance since January 2025. Her most recent public appearance was at a protest in Caracas on 9 January, opposing the swearing-in of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
Political Context
Following Venezuela's 2024 election, the opposition released vote counts suggesting they had won, despite Maduro claiming victory. Several nations, including the United States, have acknowledged its candidate, Edmundo Gonzalez, as the president-elect. Ms. Machado was banned from running in that election.
