Nobel Officials Unsure About When Peace Prize Winner Will Arrive for Ceremony

A scheduled media briefing by Nobel Peace Prize laureate María Corina Machado, who is currently keeping a low profile, was cancelled on Tuesday. The award committee stated they are completely in the dark 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 fraudulently taken.

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

Despite regularly posting recorded messages on social media, typically in front of a plain white wall, her precise location remains unknown.

"María Corina Machado has herself stated in interviews how challenging the journey to Oslo, Norway is likely to be," organizers 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 previously stated she would attend 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 Potential Consequences

Venezuela's government have declared that if Machado left Venezuela, she would be deemed a "fugitive" by the government. 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 investigations, she is considered a fugitive." He stated she is facing charges for "acts of conspiracy, promoting hatred, as well as terrorism."

Planned Comeback and Visibility

Machado had earlier told her supporters that she planned to return to Venezuela after receiving the prize.

If she attends the ceremony, it would mark her first public appearance since January 2025. Her last public appearance 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 groups released vote counts indicating they had been victorious, despite Maduro declaring himself the winner. Several nations, including the United States, have recognized its candidate, Edmundo Gonzalez, as the president-elect. Ms. Machado was prohibited from running in that election.