Peace Prize Officials Unsure About When Peace Prize Laureate Is to Arrive for Award Event

A planned media briefing by Peace Prize winner María Corina Machado, who is presently keeping a low profile, 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 out of public view since the country's disputed 2024 election. She and her allies maintain the vote was fraudulently taken.

She was granted the Nobel Peace Prize for her efforts to establish democracy to Venezuela and was anticipated to formally collect the award at a ceremony on Wednesday.

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

"María Corina Machado has personally indicated in interviews how difficult the journey to Oslo, Norway will be," organizers said in a statement. "We therefore are unable to at this point offer any additional information about when and how she will arrive for the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony."

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

Official Position and Legal Threats

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

Last month, Venezuela's top prosecutor, Tarek William Saab, informed a news agency that "Because she is outside Venezuela and having numerous criminal cases, she is regarded as a fugitive." He stated she is facing charges for "acts of conspiracy, promoting hatred, and terrorism."

Planned Comeback and Visibility

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

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

Election Backdrop

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