Norway's Ministry of Foreign Affairs Announces Closure of Venezuelan Embassy in Oslo
The Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on Monday that Venezuela had closed its embassy in Oslo without providing an explanation, just three days after the Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado.
The ministry's spokesperson, Cecilie Roang, told Agence France-Presse (AFP): "We were informed by the Venezuelan embassy that it intended to close its doors, without specifying the reasons." Ms. Roang added: "This is regrettable. Despite disagreements on a number of issues, Norway wants to maintain open channels of dialogue with Venezuela and will continue to work towards this goal."
According to the Norwegian newspaper Verdens Gang, the embassy stopped answering phone calls on Monday afternoon, while AFP found that the embassy's phone numbers were no longer in service in the evening.
The Norwegian spokesperson recalled that "the Nobel Prize is awarded by an independent committee from the Norwegian government, and we refer any questions about it to the relevant committee."
In a comment made on Sunday, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro called the opposition leader, María Corina Machado, a "demonic witch," two days after she received the Nobel Peace Prize.
The Venezuelan government often refers to the opposition leader as "La Sayona," a female character from Venezuelan folklore who is transformed into an evil spirit seeking revenge.
Press reports indicate that Venezuelan authorities had previously prevented Machado from running in the 2024 presidential election, which Maduro was declared the winner of despite opposition objections.
The Nobel Committee awarded the prize to the 58-year-old Machado for "her struggle for a peaceful and just transition from dictatorship to democracy" in Venezuela.
