Nobel Officials Unsure About When Peace Prize Laureate Will Arrive for Ceremony

A planned media briefing by Nobel Peace Prize laureate María Corina Machado, who is currently in hiding, was called off on Tuesday. The Nobel Institute stated they are without any clear information regarding her current location.

Machado, Venezuela's opposition leader, has been out of public view since the country's disputed 2024 election. She and her allies maintain the vote was stolen.

She was granted the Nobel Peace Prize for her efforts to bring democracy to Venezuela and was expected to formally collect the award at a ceremony on Wednesday.

Despite frequently posting video updates on social media, typically in front of a plain white wall, her exact location remains unknown.

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

The institute had earlier stated she would attend the ceremony physically. Earlier on Tuesday, a spokesman had commented that "everything suggests" the press conference would go ahead despite a delay.

Official Position and Potential Consequences

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

Last month, Venezuela's attorney general, Tarek William Saab, told a news agency that "Because she is outside Venezuela and facing numerous criminal investigations, she is regarded as a fugitive." He added she is accused of "acts of conspiracy, incitement of hatred, as well as terrorism."

Potential Return and Visibility

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

If she makes it to 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, opposing the inauguration of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.

Election Backdrop

Following Venezuela's 2024 election, the opposition published vote counts suggesting they had won, despite Maduro claiming victory. Several nations, such as the United States, have acknowledged its candidate, Edmundo Gonzalez, as the president-elect. Ms. Machado was prohibited from participating in that election.