Peace Prize Organizers Unsure When Nobel Winner Will Arrive for Award Event
A scheduled media briefing by Peace Prize winner María Corina Machado, who is currently in hiding, was called off on Tuesday. The Nobel Institute stated they are completely in the dark regarding her whereabouts.
Machado, the leader of Venezuela's opposition, has been in hiding since the country's contested 2024 election. She and her supporters maintain the vote was fraudulently taken.
She was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her work to establish democracy to Venezuela and was expected to receive in person the award at a ceremony on Wednesday.
Despite frequently posting video updates on social media, typically against a plain white wall, her precise location is unknown.
"María Corina Machado has personally indicated in interviews how difficult the journey to Oslo, Norway will be," the Nobel Institute said in a statement. "We therefore are unable to at this point offer any additional information about the timing or manner in which she will come for the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony."
The institute had previously stated she would attend the ceremony in person. Earlier on Tuesday, a spokesman had remarked that "everything suggests" the press conference would go ahead despite a delay.
Government Stance and Legal Threats
Venezuela's government have stated that if Machado departed from Venezuela, she would be considered a "person fleeing justice" by the government. Her relatives are already in Oslo.
Last month, Venezuela's attorney general, Tarek William Saab, told a news agency that "By being outside Venezuela and facing numerous criminal investigations, 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 earlier informed her followers that she planned to go back to Venezuela after collecting the prize.
If she attends the ceremony, it would mark her initial return to the public eye since January 2025. Her last appearance before cameras was at a protest in Caracas on 9 January, opposing the inauguration of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
Political Context
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 recognized its candidate, Edmundo Gonzalez, as the president-elect. Ms. Machado was prohibited from running in that election.
