Oslo: Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Korina Machado will not be attending the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony in Oslo, as revealed by Christian Berg Harpviken, director of the Norwegian Nobel Institute. Her current location remains unknown.
According to Thai News Agency, Machado, aged 58, is set to receive the prestigious award at a ceremony at Oslo City Hall, which will be attended by King Harald and Queen Sonja of Norway, along with Latin American leaders such as President Javier Milei of Argentina and President Daniel Novoa of Ecuador. The event is scheduled to commence at 1:00 PM local time, corresponding to 7:00 PM in Thailand.
Machado’s inability to attend stems from a travel ban imposed by Venezuelan authorities, which has been in effect for decades, and her more than a year spent in hiding. Harpviken informed the NRK news agency that Machado was not in Norway and would not be present on stage at the City Hall when the ceremony began. He also mentioned that her whereabouts were currently unknown.
The Nobel Peace Prize ceremony is expected to proceed as planned. In the absence of the laureate, it is customary for a close family member to accept the award and deliver the Nobel speech. In Machado’s case, her daughter, Ana Korina Souza Machado, is anticipated to fulfill this role.