Nobel Officials Uncertain About When Nobel Winner Will Arrive for Award Event

A scheduled media briefing 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 in hiding since the country's disputed 2024 election. She and her allies maintain the vote was stolen.

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

Despite frequently posting video updates on social media, typically in front of a plain white wall, her precise location is a mystery.

"María Corina Machado has personally indicated in interviews how difficult the journey to Oslo, Norway is likely to be," the Nobel Institute 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 stated she would be present at the ceremony physically. Earlier on Tuesday, a spokesman had remarked that "all indications are" the press conference would proceed despite a delay.

Government Stance and Legal Threats

Venezuela's government have declared that if Machado departed from Venezuela, she would be deemed a "person fleeing justice" by the authorities. 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 having numerous criminal cases, she is regarded as a fugitive." He stated she is accused of "alleged conspiracy, incitement of hatred, and terrorism."

Planned Comeback and Visibility

Machado had earlier informed her supporters that she intended to go back to Venezuela after receiving the prize.

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

Election Backdrop

Following Venezuela's 2024 election, the opposition published vote counts indicating they had been victorious, despite Maduro claiming victory. 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.