Venezuela Shuts Norway Embassy After Nobel for 'Witch'

Venezuela has shut down its embassy in Norway just days after opposition leader María Corina Machado was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. The Venezuelan government did not mention Machado's award in its official statement, instead framing the closure as part of a broader restructuring of its foreign service. Still, the move is widely seen as a rebuke of Machado's international recognition. Norway's foreign ministry confirmed the closure, calling it "regrettable," but emphasized that the Nobel Prize is awarded independently of the government, per the BBC.

Machado, a prominent critic of President Nicolás Maduro, has spent much of the past year in hiding. The Nobel Committee described her as a "key, unifying figure in a political opposition that was once deeply divided" and highlighted her efforts to promote democratic rights in a country grappling with humanitarian and economic crises. Maduro, for his part, labeled Machado a "demonic witch" following the announcement of her win. Machado, meanwhile, dedicated her award to President Trump "for his decisive support of our cause," per the Independent.