Peace Prize Officials Unsure About When Peace Prize Winner Will Arrive for Award Event

A planned media briefing by Peace Prize winner María Corina Machado, who is currently keeping a low profile, was called off on Tuesday. The award committee stated they are completely in the dark regarding her whereabouts.

Machado, the leader of Venezuela's opposition, has been out of public view since the country's contested 2024 election. She and her allies assert the vote was fraudulently taken.

She was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her work to establish democracy to Venezuela and was expected to formally collect the award at a ceremony on Wednesday.

Despite regularly posting recorded messages on social media, typically against a neutral white wall, her precise location remains a mystery.

"María Corina Machado has herself stated in interviews how difficult the journey to Oslo, Norway will be," organizers said in a statement. "We therefore are unable to at this point provide any further information about the timing or manner in which she will come for the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony."

The institute had earlier stated she would be present at the ceremony in person. Earlier on Tuesday, a spokesman had remarked that "all indications are" the press conference would proceed despite a delay.

Official Position and Potential Consequences

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

Last month, Venezuela's top prosecutor, Tarek William Saab, informed a news agency that "Because she is 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."

Planned Comeback and Visibility

Machado had earlier told her followers that she intended to go back 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 swearing-in of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.

Political Context

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