Nobel Organizers Uncertain When Nobel Laureate Is to Arrive for Award Event

A scheduled media briefing by Nobel Peace Prize laureate María Corina Machado, who is presently in hiding, was cancelled on Tuesday. The award committee stated they are completely in the dark regarding her whereabouts.

Machado, Venezuela's opposition leader, has been in hiding since the country's contested 2024 election. She and her supporters assert the vote was fraudulently taken.

She was granted 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 frequently posting recorded messages on social media, typically against a neutral white wall, her exact location remains a mystery.

"María Corina Machado has herself stated in interviews how difficult the journey to Oslo, Norway will be," organizers said in a statement. "We therefore are unable to at this point offer any further information about when and how she will arrive for the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony."

The institute had earlier confirmed she would attend the ceremony in person. Earlier on Tuesday, a spokesman had commented that "all indications are" the press conference would proceed despite a delay.

Government Stance and Potential Consequences

Venezuela's government have declared that if Machado departed from Venezuela, she would be considered a "person fleeing justice" by the authorities. Her family members are already in Oslo.

Last month, Venezuela's attorney general, Tarek William Saab, informed a news agency that "By being outside Venezuela and having numerous criminal cases, she is regarded as a fugitive." He added she is facing charges for "acts of conspiracy, incitement of hatred, as well as terrorism."

Potential Return and Visibility

Machado had earlier told her followers that she intended to return to Venezuela after receiving the prize.

If she makes it to 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, 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 recognized its candidate, Edmundo Gonzalez, as the duly elected president. Ms. Machado was banned from participating in that election.