Nobel ceremony in chaos as officials admit 'they don't know where prize winner is' just hours before speech

"She is unfortunately not in Norway and will not stand on stage at Oslo City Hall at 1 p.m. when the ceremony starts," he stated.

When pressed about Ms Machado's whereabouts, Mr Harpviken responded simply: "I don't know."

The 58-year-old laureate had been expected to collect her prize at the midday ceremony, scheduled to begin at noon GMT, in the presence of Norwegian royalty and Latin American heads of state.

Ms Machado has spent more than twelve months in hiding, having last appeared publicly on 9 January when Venezuelan security forces briefly detained her during a demonstration in Caracas.

The following day, President Nicolás Maduro was inaugurated for a third six-year term in office.

Venezuelan authorities have imposed a decade-long prohibition on the opposition leader's travel, severely restricting her ability to leave the country.

The Nobel Institute had acknowledged the difficulties she faced in reaching Norway, stating in an email on Tuesday: "María Corina Machado has herself stated in interviews how challenging the journey to Oslo, Norway, will be."

A planned press conference on the eve of the ceremony was cancelled after several hours of unexplained delays, with the institute unable to confirm when or how she might arrive.

Ms Machado was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize on 10 October, recognised for her efforts to secure democratic transition in Venezuela. The committee described her as someone "who keeps the flame of democracy burning amid a growing darkness."

She had won the opposition's primary election and sought to challenge Maduro in last year's presidential contest, but the government prohibited her from standing.

Retired diplomat Edmundo González ran in her place, though the 28 July 2024 vote was marred by widespread suppression, including disqualifications, arrests and human rights abuses.

The National Electoral Council, dominated by Maduro supporters, declared the incumbent victorious despite credible evidence suggesting otherwise.

Mr González subsequently fled to Spain after Venezuelan courts issued a warrant for his arrest.

Norwegian King Harald and Queen Sonja were expected to attend the ceremony, alongside Argentine President Javier Milei and Ecuadorean President Daniel Noboa.

Christopher Sabatini, a senior fellow for Latin America at Chatham House, said the Nobel prize had provided "a strong signal of international validation ... [of] the democratic results that had been forgotten."

The proceedings will continue regardless of Ms Machado's absence. In circumstances where a laureate cannot attend, established protocol dictates that a close relative typically accepts the prize and delivers the Nobel lecture on their behalf.

The ceremony remains scheduled to begin at 1pm local time at Oslo City Hall, though the dramatic uncertainty surrounding the winner's location has cast a shadow over what should have been a celebration of democratic resistance.