Nobel Officials Unsure About When Peace Prize Winner Is to Arrive for Award Event

A scheduled media briefing by Peace Prize winner María Corina Machado, who is currently in hiding, was cancelled on Tuesday. The award committee stated they are without any clear information regarding her current location.

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 stolen.

She was granted the Nobel Peace Prize for her efforts to bring democracy to Venezuela and was expected to formally collect the award at a ceremony on Wednesday.

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

"María Corina Machado has personally indicated in interviews how challenging the journey to Oslo, Norway is likely to be," organizers said in a statement. "We therefore cannot at this point offer any further information about when and how she will come for the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony."

The institute had earlier confirmed she would attend the ceremony physically. Earlier on Tuesday, a spokesman had remarked that "everything suggests" the press conference would go ahead despite a delay.

Official Position and Potential Consequences

Venezuela's government have stated that if Machado departed from 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, told a news agency that "Because she is outside Venezuela and having numerous criminal cases, she is considered a fugitive." He added she is accused of "acts of conspiracy, promoting hatred, as well as terrorism."

Planned Comeback and Public Appearance

Machado had previously informed her supporters that she planned to return 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 demonstration in Caracas on 9 January, opposing the swearing-in of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.

Political Context

Following Venezuela's 2024 election, the opposition released tallies indicating they had won, despite Maduro declaring himself the winner. Several nations, including the United States, have acknowledged its candidate, Edmundo Gonzalez, as the president-elect. Ms. Machado was banned from participating in that election.