Peace Prize Officials Uncertain When Peace Prize Winner Is to Arrive for Award Event
A scheduled press conference by Peace Prize winner María Corina Machado, who is presently keeping a low profile, was called off on Tuesday. The award committee 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 contested 2024 election. She and her supporters maintain the vote was fraudulently taken.
She was granted the Nobel Peace Prize for her work to establish democracy to Venezuela and was expected to receive in person 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 is unknown.
"María 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 offer any further information about the timing or manner in which she will arrive for the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony."
The institute had previously confirmed she would attend the ceremony physically. Earlier on Tuesday, a spokesman had remarked that "everything suggests" the press conference would go ahead despite a delay.
Official Position and Legal Threats
Venezuela's authorities have declared that if Machado left Venezuela, she would be deemed a "person fleeing justice" by the government. Her relatives are already in Oslo.
Last month, Venezuela's attorney general, Tarek William Saab, told a news agency that "By being outside Venezuela and facing numerous criminal investigations, she is regarded as a fugitive." He added she is facing charges for "acts of conspiracy, promoting hatred, as well as terrorism."
Potential Return and Public Appearance
Machado had earlier told her supporters that she intended to go back 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 protest in Caracas on 9 January, opposing the inauguration of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
Political Context
Following Venezuela's 2024 election, the opposition published tallies indicating they had been victorious, despite Maduro claiming victory. Several nations, including the United States, have acknowledged its candidate, Edmundo Gonzalez, as the president-elect. Ms. Machado was banned from running in that election.
