Nobel Organizers Uncertain When Nobel Winner Is to Arrive for Ceremony

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 without any clear information regarding her current location.

Machado, Venezuela's opposition leader, has been in hiding 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 bring democracy to Venezuela and was expected to receive in person the award at a ceremony on Wednesday.

Despite frequently posting recorded messages on social media, typically against a plain white wall, her precise location remains unknown.

"María Corina Machado has personally indicated in interviews how difficult 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 when and how she will come for the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony."

The institute had earlier confirmed she would attend the ceremony physically. Earlier on Tuesday, a spokesman had commented that "all indications are" the press conference would go ahead despite a delay.

Official Position and Legal Threats

Venezuela's authorities have declared that if Machado left Venezuela, she would be considered a "fugitive" by the government. Her family members are reportedly in Oslo.

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

Planned Comeback and Visibility

Machado had earlier told her followers that she planned to return to Venezuela after receiving the prize.

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

Election Backdrop

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