Nobel Organizers Unsure When Peace Prize Laureate Will Arrive for Award Event
A planned press conference by Peace Prize winner María Corina Machado, who is currently in hiding, was cancelled on Tuesday. The Nobel Institute stated they are without any clear information 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 allies maintain the vote was stolen.
She was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her efforts to establish democracy to Venezuela and was anticipated to formally collect the award at a formal event on Wednesday.
Despite frequently posting video updates on social media, typically against a neutral white wall, her precise 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 cannot 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 stated she would be present at 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 Legal Threats
Venezuela's authorities have stated that if Machado departed from Venezuela, she would be deemed 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 facing numerous criminal investigations, she is regarded as a fugitive." He added she is facing charges for "acts of conspiracy, incitement of hatred, and terrorism."
Potential Return and Public Appearance
Machado had previously informed her supporters 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 demonstration in Caracas on 9 January, against the swearing-in 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, including the United States, have acknowledged its candidate, Edmundo Gonzalez, as the president-elect. Ms. Machado was prohibited from running in that election.
