Nobel Peace Prize awarded to opposition leader, Venezuela closes embassy in Norway

2025-10-14 10:25:10Kosova&Bota SHKRUAR NGA REDAKSIA VOX

The Venezuelan government has closed its embassy in Norway, just days after opposition leader María Corina Machado was announced the winner of the Nobel Peace Prize.

Venezuelan authorities announced that the decision is part of a "restructuring of the foreign service," without directly mentioning the award that has caused strong political reactions in Caracas.

The Norwegian Foreign Ministry confirmed the closure of the Venezuelan embassy in Oslo, calling the action "unpleasant," but stressed that the Nobel Committee is independent of the Norwegian government.

The Nobel Prize was awarded to Machado for her “tireless efforts in defending the democratic rights of the Venezuelan people.” President Nicolás Maduro called the 58-year-old winner a “sinister witch,” accusing her of conspiring with the West.

Caracas has also closed its embassy in Australia, while opening new representations in Zimbabwe and Burkina Faso, which it has described as "strategic partners in the fight against hegemonic pressures."

This is the second similar incident for Norway after 2010, when China suspended diplomatic relations after the Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to dissident Liu Xiaobo.


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