Venezuela Closes Its Embassy in Oslo After Maria Machado Wins the Nobel Peace Prize
In a notable diplomatic escalation, the Norwegian Foreign Ministry announced yesterday, Monday, that Venezuela has unexpectedly closed its embassy in the capital Oslo, without providing any official explanation, a move that comes just three days after the Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to Maria Corina Machado, the prominent Venezuelan opposition leader.
Norwegian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Cecilie Rønhaug stated in a statement to AFP:
"We received a notice from the Venezuelan embassy of its intention to close its doors, without clarifying the reasons. This is unfortunate, as despite the existing disagreements, we had hoped to keep channels of dialogue open with Venezuela."
In contrast, the Venezuelan Foreign Ministry confirmed in a statement from the capital Caracas that the embassy closure is part of what it described as a "restructuring of diplomatic missions," and the decision also included the closure of the Venezuelan embassy in Australia.
* Nobel Triggers a Silent Crisis
The closure came at a highly sensitive time, following the awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize to Maria Corina Machado (58 years old), who leads a fierce opposition campaign against the legacy of the late President Hugo Chavez and the policies of his current successor Nicolas Maduro.
Machado, who has been barred from running in the 2024 presidential elections _which Maduro won amid widespread skepticism from the opposition_ has formed a strong opposing voice against the current regime, repeatedly calling for a peaceful and democratic transition in the country.
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro responded to her winning the prize with an aggressive tone, describing her, without naming the prize or congratulating her, as a "witch," a term the regime has frequently used against its political opponents.
* An Independent Prize .. and Tense Responses
The Norwegian Foreign Ministry emphasized that "the Nobel Peace Prize is completely independent of the government," adding that it "refers any questions regarding the prize to the Norwegian Nobel Committee."
The Nobel Committee awarded the prize to Machado "in recognition of her ongoing efforts for democracy in Venezuela, and her peaceful struggle for a fair transition from dictatorship to democratic rule."
* Attacks and Mutual Accusations
On another note, a concerning incident occurred in the Colombian capital Bogotá, where two Venezuelan political activists _Yendri Vilasquez and Luis Alejandro Pichi_ were injured in a shooting while preparing to board a bus.
Machado accused Maduro's regime of being behind the attack and called on Colombian authorities to open an urgent investigation. Meanwhile, the Colombian police confirmed the incident and the commencement of investigations.
* New Alliances.. in the Face of "Domination"
Alongside the closure of embassies, Venezuela announced the opening of new diplomatic missions in Zimbabwe and Burkina Faso, describing them as "strategic partners in resisting the pressures of Western domination."
* Nobel Gifted to Trump and the People
In her speech after receiving the prize, Maria Corina Machado dedicated the award to "the suffering Venezuelan people," and thanked U.S. President Donald Trump for his "crucial support for our cause," referring to his supportive stances towards the Venezuelan opposition during his presidency.
* Political Analysis:
The simultaneous diplomatic moves alongside the tense statements from Caracas suggest that awarding the prize to Machado has been interpreted as a political slap in the face of the Venezuelan regime, prompting it to respond by closing official communication channels with Oslo, the home of the Nobel Committee.
Does this step represent the beginning of a broader isolation or a diplomatic realignment by Venezuela in the face of the West? The coming days will reveal that.
