Nobel Organizers Unsure When Nobel Laureate Will Arrive for Ceremony
A planned press conference by Nobel Peace Prize laureate María Corina Machado, who is currently in hiding, was cancelled on Tuesday. The Nobel Institute stated they are without any clear information regarding her current location.
Machado, the leader of Venezuela's opposition, has been in hiding since the country's contested 2024 election. She and her allies 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 formally collect the award at a formal event on Wednesday.
Despite regularly posting video updates on social media, typically against a neutral white wall, her exact location is 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 cannot at this point offer any further information about when and how she will come for the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony."
The institute had previously confirmed she would be present at the ceremony physically. Earlier on Tuesday, a spokesman had remarked that "all indications are" the press conference would proceed despite a delay.
Government Stance and Potential Consequences
Venezuela's authorities have stated that if Machado left Venezuela, she would be considered a "fugitive" by the authorities. Her family members are already 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 added she is facing charges for "alleged conspiracy, incitement of hatred, and terrorism."
Planned Comeback and Visibility
Machado had earlier informed her supporters that she planned to go back to Venezuela after receiving the prize.
If she makes it to the ceremony, it would mark her first public appearance since January 2025. Her most recent appearance before cameras was at a demonstration in Caracas on 9 January, opposing the swearing-in of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
Election Backdrop
Following Venezuela's 2024 election, the opposition released vote counts suggesting they had been victorious, despite Maduro claiming victory. Several nations, such as the United States, have acknowledged its candidate, Edmundo Gonzalez, as the duly elected president. Ms. Machado was banned from running in that election.
