Peace Prize Organizers Unsure About When Nobel Laureate Will Arrive for Award Event
A scheduled media briefing by Nobel Peace Prize laureate MarĂa Corina Machado, who is currently keeping a low profile, 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 disputed 2024 election. She and her allies assert the vote was fraudulently taken.
She was granted the Nobel Peace Prize for her work to bring democracy to Venezuela and was anticipated to formally collect the award at a formal event on Wednesday.
Despite regularly posting recorded messages on social media, typically in front of a plain white wall, her precise location is a mystery.
"MarĂa 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 offer any additional information about the timing or manner in which she will arrive for the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony."
The institute had previously stated she would be present at the ceremony in person. Earlier on Tuesday, a spokesman had remarked that "everything suggests" the press conference would proceed despite a delay.
Government Stance and Legal Threats
Venezuela's government have declared that if Machado left Venezuela, she would be deemed a "person fleeing justice" by the authorities. Her relatives are already in Oslo.
Last month, Venezuela's top prosecutor, Tarek William Saab, informed a news agency that "By being outside Venezuela and facing numerous criminal investigations, she is considered a fugitive." He added she is facing charges for "acts of conspiracy, promoting hatred, as well as terrorism."
Planned Comeback and Public Appearance
Machado had earlier informed her followers that she intended to return to Venezuela after receiving the prize.
If she makes it to the ceremony, it would mark her first public appearance since January 2025. Her most recent public appearance was at a demonstration in Caracas on 9 January, against the swearing-in of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
Political Context
Following Venezuela's 2024 election, the opposition published tallies suggesting they had won, despite Maduro declaring himself the winner. Several nations, including the United States, have acknowledged its candidate, Edmundo Gonzalez, as the duly elected president. Ms. Machado was prohibited from running in that election.
