Nobel Officials Uncertain About When Peace Prize Laureate Is to Arrive for Award Event
A scheduled media briefing by Nobel Peace Prize laureate María Corina Machado, who is currently keeping a low profile, was called off on Tuesday. The award committee stated they are completely in the dark regarding her current location.
Machado, Venezuela's opposition leader, has been out of public view 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 work to bring democracy to Venezuela and was expected to formally collect the award at a ceremony on Wednesday.
Despite frequently posting recorded messages on social media, typically against a plain white wall, her precise location remains unknown.
"María Corina Machado has herself stated in interviews how challenging the journey to Oslo, Norway is likely to be," organizers said in a statement. "We therefore are unable to at this point offer any additional information about when and how she will come for the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony."
The institute had earlier confirmed she would attend the ceremony in person. Earlier on Tuesday, a spokesman had remarked that "everything suggests" the press conference would proceed despite a delay.
Government Stance and Potential Consequences
Venezuela's government have declared that if Machado left Venezuela, she would be deemed a "person fleeing justice" by the authorities. Her relatives are reportedly in Oslo.
Last month, Venezuela's attorney general, Tarek William Saab, informed a news agency that "Because she is outside Venezuela and having numerous criminal investigations, she is considered a fugitive." He stated she is accused of "alleged conspiracy, promoting hatred, as well as terrorism."
Potential Return and Visibility
Machado had previously told her followers that she intended to go back to Venezuela after collecting the prize.
If she attends the ceremony, it would mark her initial return to the public eye 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.
Election Backdrop
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 recognized its candidate, Edmundo Gonzalez, as the duly elected president. Ms. Machado was banned from participating in that election.
