Venezuela closes embassy in Norway after opposition leader wins Nobel Peace Prize

Venezuela announced on Monday it would close its embassy in Oslo, days after opposition leader María Corina Machado was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, the BBC writes.

In a statement, the Venezuelan government did not comment on Machado’s prize, saying that the closure was part of a restructuring of its foreign service.

Norway’s foreign ministry confirmed that Caracas had closed its embassy in Oslo without providing a reason.

Caracas also closed its embassy in Australia while opening new outposts in Zimbabwe and Burkina Faso, which it called “strategic partners in the fight” against “hegemonic pressures”.

The Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to Machado on Oct. 10. In Oslo, the Nobel Committee announced that the prize was awarded to Machado for her “tireless work promoting democratic rights for the people of Venezuela.”