Nobel Officials Uncertain About When Peace Prize Winner Is to Arrive for Award Event

A planned press conference by Nobel Peace Prize laureate María Corina Machado, who is currently keeping a low profile, 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 out of public view since the country's disputed 2024 election. She and her supporters assert the vote was stolen.

She was granted the Nobel Peace Prize for her work to bring democracy to Venezuela and was expected to receive in person the award at a formal event on Wednesday.

Despite regularly posting video updates on social media, typically in front of a neutral white wall, her exact location remains a mystery.

"María Corina Machado has herself stated in interviews how difficult the journey to Oslo, Norway is likely to be," organizers said in a statement. "We therefore are unable to at this point offer any further information about the timing or manner in which 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 remarked that "all indications are" 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 deemed a "person fleeing justice" by the authorities. Her family members are reportedly in Oslo.

Last month, Venezuela's attorney general, Tarek William Saab, informed a news agency that "By being outside Venezuela and having numerous criminal cases, she is considered a fugitive." He added she is facing charges for "acts of conspiracy, promoting hatred, and terrorism."

Planned Comeback and Visibility

Machado had previously told her followers that she intended to go back to Venezuela after receiving 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 demonstration in Caracas on 9 January, against the inauguration of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.

Election Backdrop

Following Venezuela's 2024 election, the opposition groups released tallies suggesting they had been victorious, despite Maduro declaring himself the winner. Several nations, such as the United States, have acknowledged its candidate, Edmundo Gonzalez, as the president-elect. Ms. Machado was prohibited from running in that election.