Peace Prize Organizers Unsure About When Nobel Laureate Is to Arrive for Ceremony

A planned media briefing by Nobel Peace Prize laureate María Corina Machado, who is currently 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 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 ceremony on Wednesday.

Despite regularly posting recorded messages on social media, typically in front of a plain white wall, her exact location remains unknown.

"María Corina Machado has herself stated in interviews how difficult 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 proceed despite a delay.

Government Stance and Potential Consequences

Venezuela's authorities have declared that if Machado departed from Venezuela, she would be deemed a "fugitive" by the government. Her relatives are already in Oslo.

Last month, Venezuela's attorney general, Tarek William Saab, told a news agency that "Because she is outside Venezuela and facing numerous criminal investigations, she is considered a fugitive." He added she is accused of "alleged conspiracy, promoting hatred, as well as terrorism."

Potential Return and Public Appearance

Machado had previously told her followers that she planned to return 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 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 groups released vote counts suggesting they had been victorious, despite Maduro claiming victory. 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.