Nobel Organizers Uncertain About When Nobel Winner Is to Arrive for Award Event

A planned media briefing by Nobel Peace Prize laureate María Corina Machado, who is presently in hiding, was called off on Tuesday. The Nobel Institute stated they are without any clear information regarding her whereabouts.

Machado, Venezuela's opposition leader, has been in hiding since the country's disputed 2024 election. She and her allies assert the vote was stolen.

She was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her work to establish democracy to Venezuela and was expected to receive in person the award at a formal event on Wednesday.

Despite regularly posting video updates on social media, typically against a neutral white wall, her exact location remains a mystery.

"María 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 provide any further information about the timing or manner in which she will arrive for the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony."

The institute had earlier stated she would be present at the ceremony in person. 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 authorities have declared that if Machado left Venezuela, she would be deemed a "person fleeing justice" by the authorities. Her family members are reportedly in Oslo.

Last month, Venezuela's top prosecutor, Tarek William Saab, told a news agency that "By being outside Venezuela and facing numerous criminal cases, she is considered a fugitive." He added she is accused of "acts of conspiracy, incitement of hatred, and terrorism."

Planned Comeback and Visibility

Machado had earlier informed her followers that she planned to return to Venezuela after receiving the prize.

If she attends the ceremony, it would mark her initial return to the public eye since January 2025. Her last public appearance was at a demonstration in Caracas on 9 January, against the inauguration of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.

Election Backdrop

Following Venezuela's 2024 election, the opposition groups released tallies suggesting they had been victorious, despite Maduro claiming victory. Several nations, such as the United States, have acknowledged its candidate, Edmundo Gonzalez, as the president-elect. Ms. Machado was banned from participating in that election.