Peace Prize Organizers Unsure When Peace Prize Laureate Will Arrive for Award Event
A scheduled media briefing by Peace Prize winner María Corina Machado, who is presently keeping a low profile, was cancelled on Tuesday. The Nobel Institute stated they are completely in the dark regarding her current location.
Machado, Venezuela's opposition leader, has been in hiding since the country's disputed 2024 election. She and her supporters assert the vote was fraudulently taken.
She was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her efforts to bring democracy to Venezuela and was expected to receive in person the award at a formal event on Wednesday.
Despite frequently posting recorded messages on social media, typically against a plain white wall, her precise location is a mystery.
"María Corina Machado has herself stated in interviews how difficult the journey to Oslo, Norway will 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 previously stated she would be present at the ceremony physically. Earlier on Tuesday, a spokesman had commented that "everything suggests" the press conference would go ahead despite a delay.
Government Stance and Legal Threats
Venezuela's government have declared that if Machado left Venezuela, she would be considered a "person fleeing justice" by the authorities. Her relatives are already in Oslo.
Last month, Venezuela's attorney general, Tarek William Saab, informed a news agency that "Because she is outside Venezuela and having numerous criminal cases, she is considered a fugitive." He stated she is accused of "alleged conspiracy, incitement of hatred, as well as terrorism."
Planned Comeback and Public Appearance
Machado had previously told her followers that she planned to return to Venezuela after collecting the prize.
If she attends the ceremony, it would mark her initial return to the public eye since January 2025. Her last 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 published vote counts indicating they had won, 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.
