Venezuela has announced the closure of its embassy in Oslo, just days after opposition leader María Corina Machado was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. The Venezuelan government, in a statement, attributed the closure to a restructuring of its foreign service, avoiding any direct mention of Machado’s accolade. Norway’s foreign ministry confirmed the embassy’s shutdown but did not provide a specific reason, labeling the decision as ‘regrettable.’ The Nobel Committee honored Machado for her ‘tireless work promoting democratic rights for the people of Venezuela,’ a move that drew sharp criticism from Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, who referred to her as a ‘demonic witch.’ Machado, a long-time critic of Maduro’s regime, has been living in hiding for much of the past year. In her response to the award, Machado described it as ‘an injection of energy, hope, and strength’ for her political movement, emphasizing that it reassures Venezuelans they are not alone in their struggle. The embassy closures in Oslo and Australia, coupled with the opening of new diplomatic outposts in Zimbabwe and Burkina Faso, signal Venezuela’s strategic realignment amid escalating tensions with the United States. The U.S. military’s recent strikes on boats allegedly carrying narcotics from Venezuela have further strained relations, drawing international condemnation. This incident echoes past diplomatic fallout over the Nobel Peace Prize, notably with China in 2010, when the award to dissident Liu Xiaobo led to a six-year suspension of ties with Norway.
Venezuela shuts embassy in Norway following opposition leader’s Nobel award
