Peace Prize Officials Uncertain When Nobel Laureate Will Arrive for Award Event
A planned press conference by Nobel Peace Prize laureate MarÃa Corina Machado, who is currently keeping a low profile, was cancelled 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 supporters assert the vote was fraudulently taken.
She was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her efforts to establish democracy to Venezuela and was expected to formally collect the award at a ceremony on Wednesday.
Despite frequently posting recorded messages on social media, typically in front of a plain white wall, her exact location remains unknown.
"MarÃa Corina Machado has personally indicated in interviews how challenging the journey to Oslo, Norway is likely to be," organizers said in a statement. "We therefore cannot at this point provide any further information about when and how she will come for the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony."
The institute had earlier confirmed she would attend the ceremony in person. Earlier on Tuesday, a spokesman had remarked that "all indications are" the press conference would go ahead despite a delay.
Official Position and Legal Threats
Venezuela's authorities have declared that if Machado departed from Venezuela, she would be deemed a "fugitive" by the authorities. Her relatives are reportedly in Oslo.
Last month, Venezuela's attorney general, Tarek William Saab, informed a news agency that "By being outside Venezuela and facing numerous criminal cases, she is regarded as a fugitive." He added she is facing charges for "alleged conspiracy, incitement of hatred, as well as terrorism."
Potential Return and Visibility
Machado had earlier told her followers that she intended to go back 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 demonstration in Caracas on 9 January, opposing the inauguration of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
Election Backdrop
Following Venezuela's 2024 election, the opposition released tallies indicating they had been victorious, despite Maduro claiming victory. 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.
