Nobel Officials Unsure About When Nobel Winner Will Arrive for Ceremony

A scheduled media briefing by Nobel Peace Prize laureate María Corina Machado, who is presently keeping a low profile, was cancelled on Tuesday. The award committee stated they are without any clear information 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 supporters maintain the vote was stolen.

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

Despite frequently posting video updates on social media, typically against a neutral white wall, her exact location is unknown.

"María Corina Machado has herself stated in interviews how challenging the journey to Oslo, Norway will be," organizers said in a statement. "We therefore cannot at this point offer any additional information about when and how she will arrive for the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony."

The institute had previously stated she would be present at the ceremony in person. Earlier on Tuesday, a spokesman had remarked that "everything suggests" the press conference would go ahead despite a delay.

Official Position and Legal Threats

Venezuela's authorities have stated that if Machado departed from Venezuela, she would be considered a "person fleeing justice" by the government. Her relatives are already 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 investigations, she is regarded as a fugitive." He added she is facing charges for "alleged conspiracy, incitement of hatred, and terrorism."

Potential Return and Public Appearance

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

If she attends the ceremony, it would mark her first public appearance since January 2025. Her most recent appearance before cameras was at a demonstration in Caracas on 9 January, opposing the swearing-in of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.

Election Backdrop

Following Venezuela's 2024 election, the opposition groups published tallies suggesting they had been victorious, 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.