Venezuela announced it will close its embassy in Norway, just days after opposition leader María Corina Machado was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo. The decision comes amid mounting hostility from President Nicolás Maduro, who branded Machado a “demonic witch” following her victory.
Norway’s Foreign Ministry confirmed on Monday that the Venezuelan embassy had given no official explanation for its closure. Stressing that the Nobel Committee is fully independent from the Norwegian government, a ministry spokesperson declared
It is regrettable. Despite our differences on several issues, Norway wishes to keep the dialogue open with Venezuela.
Machado, 58, received the Nobel Peace Prize on October 10th for leading the opposition movement against President Nicolás Maduro’s regime. The Nobel Committee described her as “one of the most extraordinary examples of civilian courage in Latin America in recent times.”
In her acceptance speech, Machado dedicated the award to “the suffering people of Venezuela” and to U.S. president Donald Trump, praising his “decisive support of our cause.”
The Nobel Committee’s chair reiterated that outside lobbying has no impact on its decisions, rejecting claims that political influence played a role.
