Norway Cancels Maria Corina Machado's Nobel Press Conference Over Uncertainty About Her Attendance.
The Norwegian Nobel Institute announced yesterday that it was cancelling a planned press conference with Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, just one day before the award ceremony in Oslo. The move comes as Machado's whereabouts remain unknown due to a decade-long travel ban imposed by President Nicolas Maduro's government.
Originally scheduled for Tuesday at 1pm local time (12:00 GMT), the press conference was postponed several times before finally being cancelled hours later. According to the institute, they cannot provide any further information about when and how Machado will arrive for the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony on Wednesday.
Machado won the Nobel Peace Prize for her fight against Maduro's dictatorial rule, which has been a focal point of opposition efforts in Venezuela since 2013. However, her own journey to Oslo is proving challenging due to the travel ban imposed by Maduro's government. Machado's family members are already present in Oslo, but none have disclosed her exact location.
The cancellation of the press conference comes as tensions between the US and Venezuela remain high, with a large US military build-up in the Caribbean and several deadly strikes on what Washington says are drug smuggling boats in the region. Maduro has accused the US operations of being aimed at toppling his government and seizing Venezuela's oil reserves.
Machado herself has faced criticism for aligning herself with US President Donald Trump, to whom she dedicated her Nobel Prize. Despite these challenges, many hail Machado as a champion of democracy in Venezuela, who has been a vocal critic of Maduro's rule.
The Norwegian Nobel Institute announced yesterday that it was cancelling a planned press conference with Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado, just one day before the award ceremony in Oslo. The move comes as Machado's whereabouts remain unknown due to a decade-long travel ban imposed by President Nicolas Maduro's government.
Originally scheduled for Tuesday at 1pm local time (12:00 GMT), the press conference was postponed several times before finally being cancelled hours later. According to the institute, they cannot provide any further information about when and how Machado will arrive for the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony on Wednesday.
Machado won the Nobel Peace Prize for her fight against Maduro's dictatorial rule, which has been a focal point of opposition efforts in Venezuela since 2013. However, her own journey to Oslo is proving challenging due to the travel ban imposed by Maduro's government. Machado's family members are already present in Oslo, but none have disclosed her exact location.
The cancellation of the press conference comes as tensions between the US and Venezuela remain high, with a large US military build-up in the Caribbean and several deadly strikes on what Washington says are drug smuggling boats in the region. Maduro has accused the US operations of being aimed at toppling his government and seizing Venezuela's oil reserves.
Machado herself has faced criticism for aligning herself with US President Donald Trump, to whom she dedicated her Nobel Prize. Despite these challenges, many hail Machado as a champion of democracy in Venezuela, who has been a vocal critic of Maduro's rule.
... they're trying to cancel the press conference just 'cause machado's whereabouts are unknown? that's kinda rich coming from the people who are all like "oh look we're being peaceful" at the Nobel ceremony, but still have a huge military build-up in the caribbean 
meanwhile machado is stuck behind a travel ban imposed by Maduro's government... it's just another example of how hard it is to actually make progress on peace and democracy 
It's not like she's going to just magically appear out of thin air. And let's be real, it's not like this is a normal situation - she's been in hiding for years due to Maduro's government. The US military build-up in the Caribbean is just adding fuel to the fire... it feels like they're setting up Machado for failure. 
! Like what even is the point of all these security measures? She's just one person and they're treating her like a fugitive. It's not like she's gonna bring some world war to Oslo or something 
. And can we please talk about the absurdity of this whole situation? A travel ban that lasts for DECADES? What, did Maduro say "you know what, I'm just gonna lock her up and forget about it"? 
what if shes stuck in limbo forever?! 
like seriously how hard is it to get a simple travel ban lifted after 10 yrs?!? 
also maduro accusing the us of trying to topple his gov & seizing venezuelas oil reserves tho thats some next level drama 
a press conference cancelled just because someone's whereabouts are uncertain? It's like, they should've expected this with the travel ban and all that drama. But still, I'm kinda surprised it happened so close to the Nobel ceremony. I feel bad for Machado, she's been through so much fighting for democracy in Venezuela... but at the same time, some people are gonna say she's just a pawn for the US government. 
and now I'm wondering if it's because Machado isnt even sure she can come 
all this uncertainty about her attendance is super frustrating 
! First, they cancel the press conference and now nobody knows where Machado's at? It's like they're tryin' to hide somethin'. And what's with this travel ban? Is it just a coincidence that her family's already in Oslo but she can't show up? I'm not buyin' it. There's gotta be more to this than meets the eye. Maybe Machado's been coerced or silenced by Maduro's goons? Or maybe there's some kinda deal goin' on between the Nobel Institute and the US government that we don't know about? I've got a bad feelin' about this, like somethin's bein' covered up 
.
plus with tensions high between us & venezuela, it's like, totally not a good time for her to be there 
anyways, it's all so dramatic 
i mean, shouldn't they just, like, give her a private press conference or something? that way everyone gets answers... 
It's so frustrating when politics gets in the way of progress. 
It's really frustrating when you're trying to stay informed and then suddenly everything gets cancelled. 
. But I guess they didn't want to risk anything going down 
.
about this press conference cancellation 
is needed now more than ever 
. It's like 
they're taking away her voice 
, which was awarded to her with that Nobel Prize 
for a reason! 
who came all this way? 
They deserve some answers 
voices like hers, not less 
!