Nobel Organizers Unsure When Peace Prize Winner Is to Arrive for Ceremony

A scheduled press conference by Peace Prize winner María Corina Machado, who is currently in hiding, was cancelled on Tuesday. The award committee stated they are completely in the dark regarding her whereabouts.

Machado, the leader of Venezuela's opposition, has been out of public view since the country's contested 2024 election. She and her allies assert the vote was fraudulently taken.

She was granted 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 regularly posting video updates on social media, typically in front of a plain white wall, her exact location is unknown.

"María Corina Machado has personally indicated in interviews how challenging the journey to Oslo, Norway is likely to be," organizers said in a statement. "We therefore cannot at this point provide any further information about when and how she will come for the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony."

The institute had earlier confirmed she would be present at the ceremony physically. 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 authorities. Her relatives 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 considered a fugitive." He stated she is facing charges for "acts of conspiracy, incitement of hatred, as well as terrorism."

Planned Comeback and Visibility

Machado had previously informed her supporters that she intended to return to Venezuela after collecting the prize.

If she attends the ceremony, it would mark her first public appearance since January 2025. Her most recent appearance before cameras was at a protest in Caracas on 9 January, against the swearing-in of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.

Political Context

Following Venezuela's 2024 election, the opposition released vote counts indicating they had won, despite Maduro declaring himself the winner. Several nations, including the United States, have recognized its candidate, Edmundo Gonzalez, as the president-elect. Ms. Machado was banned from running in that election.