Nobel Officials Uncertain When Nobel Winner Will Arrive for Ceremony

A scheduled press conference by Nobel Peace Prize laureate María Corina Machado, who is presently in hiding, 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 in hiding since the country's disputed 2024 election. She and her allies assert the vote was stolen.

She was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her work to establish democracy to Venezuela and was expected to formally collect the award at a ceremony on Wednesday.

Despite regularly posting video updates on social media, typically in front of a neutral white wall, her exact location remains unknown.

"María Corina Machado has herself stated in interviews how challenging the journey to Oslo, Norway is likely to be," the Nobel Institute said in a statement. "We therefore cannot at this point provide any additional information about the timing or manner in which she will arrive for the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony."

The institute had previously stated 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.

Government Stance and Potential Consequences

Venezuela's government have declared that if Machado departed from Venezuela, she would be considered a "fugitive" by the government. Her relatives are reportedly in Oslo.

Last month, Venezuela's top prosecutor, Tarek William Saab, informed a news agency that "Because she is outside Venezuela and facing numerous criminal cases, she is considered a fugitive." He stated she is facing charges for "acts of conspiracy, promoting hatred, as well as terrorism."

Planned Comeback and Visibility

Machado had earlier told her followers that she planned to return to Venezuela after collecting the prize.

If she attends the ceremony, it would mark her first public appearance since January 2025. Her last appearance before cameras was at a demonstration in Caracas on 9 January, against the swearing-in of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.

Election Backdrop

Following Venezuela's 2024 election, the opposition released vote counts suggesting they had won, despite Maduro claiming victory. Several nations, including the United States, have recognized its candidate, Edmundo Gonzalez, as the duly elected president. Ms. Machado was prohibited from running in that election.