Nobel Organizers Uncertain About When Nobel Winner Is to Arrive for Ceremony

A planned press conference by Peace Prize winner María Corina Machado, who is currently keeping a low profile, was called off on Tuesday. The award committee stated they are without any clear information regarding her current location.

Machado, Venezuela's opposition leader, has been in hiding since the country's disputed 2024 election. She and her allies 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 formally collect the award at a ceremony on Wednesday.

Despite frequently posting recorded messages on social media, typically against a plain white wall, her exact location is unknown.

"María Corina Machado has personally indicated in interviews how challenging the journey to Oslo, Norway will be," the Nobel Institute said in a statement. "We therefore are unable to at this point provide any further information about when and how she will come for the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony."

The institute had previously confirmed she would be present at the ceremony physically. Earlier on Tuesday, a spokesman had remarked that "everything suggests" the press conference would proceed despite a delay.

Official Position and Legal Threats

Venezuela's government have stated that if Machado departed from Venezuela, she would be considered a "fugitive" by the government. Her relatives are reportedly in Oslo.

Last month, Venezuela's attorney general, Tarek William Saab, told a news agency that "By being outside Venezuela and having numerous criminal cases, she is regarded as a fugitive." He stated she is accused of "alleged conspiracy, promoting hatred, and terrorism."

Potential Return and Public Appearance

Machado had earlier told her supporters that she intended to go back 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.

Election Backdrop

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