Peace Prize Organizers Unsure About When Nobel Laureate Is to Arrive for Ceremony
A planned media briefing by Nobel Peace Prize laureate 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 contested 2024 election. She and her supporters maintain 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 ceremony on Wednesday.
Despite frequently posting recorded messages on social media, typically in front of a plain white wall, her precise location is a mystery.
"María Corina Machado has herself stated in interviews how challenging 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 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 remarked that "everything suggests" the press conference would go ahead despite a delay.
Official Position and Potential Consequences
Venezuela's authorities have declared that if Machado left Venezuela, she would be considered a "person fleeing justice" by the government. Her family members are reportedly in Oslo.
Last month, Venezuela's top prosecutor, Tarek William Saab, told a news agency that "Because she is outside Venezuela and facing numerous criminal cases, she is regarded as a fugitive." He stated she is facing charges for "alleged conspiracy, incitement of hatred, as well as terrorism."
Planned Comeback and Visibility
Machado had earlier told her followers that she planned to return to Venezuela after receiving 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, against the inauguration of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.
Political Context
Following Venezuela's 2024 election, the opposition groups released vote counts suggesting they had been victorious, despite Maduro declaring himself the winner. 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.