Peace Prize Organizers Unsure About When Nobel Winner Will Arrive for Award Event
A scheduled media briefing by Peace Prize winner María Corina Machado, who is presently keeping a low profile, was called off on Tuesday. The award committee stated they are without any clear information regarding her whereabouts.
Machado, Venezuela's opposition leader, has been in hiding since the country's contested 2024 election. She and her allies maintain the vote was fraudulently taken.
She was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her work to establish democracy to Venezuela and was anticipated to receive in person the award at a formal event on Wednesday.
Despite regularly posting video updates on social media, typically in front of a neutral white wall, her precise location remains unknown.
"María Corina Machado has herself stated in interviews how difficult the journey to Oslo, Norway is likely to be," organizers said in a statement. "We therefore are unable to 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 previously confirmed she would attend the ceremony physically. Earlier on Tuesday, a spokesman had commented that "all indications are" the press conference would go ahead despite a delay.
Government Stance and Legal Threats
Venezuela's government have declared that if Machado departed from Venezuela, she would be considered a "fugitive" by the authorities. 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 considered a fugitive." He stated she is facing charges for "acts of conspiracy, incitement of hatred, as well as terrorism."
Potential Return and Public Appearance
Machado had previously told her followers that she intended 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 last appearance before cameras was at a protest in Caracas on 9 January, against the swearing-in of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
Election Backdrop
Following Venezuela's 2024 election, the opposition groups published vote counts suggesting they had been victorious, despite Maduro claiming victory. Several nations, including the United States, have acknowledged its candidate, Edmundo Gonzalez, as the duly elected president. Ms. Machado was prohibited from participating in that election.
