Peace Prize Officials Uncertain About When Peace Prize Winner Will Arrive for Ceremony

A scheduled media briefing by Peace Prize winner María Corina Machado, who is currently keeping a low profile, was cancelled on Tuesday. The award committee stated they are without any clear information regarding her whereabouts.

Machado, Venezuela's opposition leader, has been out of public view 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 work to bring democracy to Venezuela and was expected to receive in person the award at a ceremony on Wednesday.

Despite regularly posting video updates on social media, typically against a plain white wall, her precise location is unknown.

"María Corina Machado has herself stated in interviews how difficult the journey to Oslo, Norway is likely to be," organizers said in a statement. "We therefore are unable to at this point provide any further information about the timing or manner in which she will come for the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony."

The institute had earlier stated she would be present at the ceremony in person. Earlier on Tuesday, a spokesman had commented that "all indications are" the press conference would go ahead despite a delay.

Government Stance and Potential Consequences

Venezuela's authorities have declared that if Machado departed from Venezuela, she would be deemed a "fugitive" by the government. Her family members 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 investigations, she is considered a fugitive." He added she is accused of "alleged conspiracy, promoting hatred, as well as terrorism."

Planned Comeback and Visibility

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 most recent appearance before cameras 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 published vote counts suggesting they had been victorious, despite Maduro declaring himself the winner. Several nations, such as the United States, have recognized its candidate, Edmundo Gonzalez, as the president-elect. Ms. Machado was prohibited from running in that election.