Peace Prize Organizers Unsure About When Peace Prize Laureate Will Arrive for Ceremony
A planned press conference by Nobel Peace Prize laureate María Corina Machado, who is presently in hiding, was cancelled on Tuesday. The Nobel Institute stated they are without any clear information regarding her whereabouts.
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 awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her work to bring democracy to Venezuela and was anticipated to receive in person the award at a ceremony on Wednesday.
Despite regularly posting video updates on social media, typically in front of a neutral white wall, her precise location is a mystery.
"María Corina Machado has herself stated 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 provide any additional information about when and how she will arrive 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 remarked that "everything suggests" the press conference would proceed despite a delay.
Government Stance and Legal Threats
Venezuela's authorities have declared that if Machado departed from Venezuela, she would be considered a "person fleeing justice" by the government. Her family members 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 cases, she is considered a fugitive." He stated she is facing charges for "alleged conspiracy, promoting hatred, and terrorism."
Potential Return and Visibility
Machado had previously told her supporters that she intended to return 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 most recent public appearance was at a protest in Caracas on 9 January, against 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 declaring himself the winner. Several nations, including the United States, have acknowledged its candidate, Edmundo Gonzalez, as the president-elect. Ms. Machado was prohibited from participating in that election.