Three days after awarding the Nobel Peace Prize to prominent opposition politician María Corina Machado from Venezuela, the government in Caracas closed its embassy in Oslo. The official reason for this in Venezuela was a restructuring of their diplomatic service. Caracas also closed its embassy in Australia but opened new diplomatic missions in Zimbabwe and Burkina Faso.
The Norwegian Foreign Ministry called the Venezuelan government’s decision “regrettable.” However, they want to maintain dialogue with Venezuela “despite our differences on several issues”.
The Norwegian Nobel Committee awarded Machado the prestigious prize on Friday. According to the Norwegian Foreign Ministry, the Nobel Prize is independent of the government in Oslo. The five-member Nobel Committee is appointed by the parliament in Oslo, three members are former ministers.
Opposition leader goes into hiding
Machado is celebrated by her followers as “La Libertadora,” the “liberator.” Although she is threatened with arrest in her homeland and numerous opposition members are in prison, she has not left the country but has gone into hiding. She appears unannounced, gives a speech in the back of a van and then flees on a motorcycle.
The opposition chose Machado as its presidential candidate last year. She was considered the favorite against the left-wing nationalist incumbent Nicolás Maduro – until the authorities banned her from running. The little-known diplomat Edmundo González Urrutia ran in her place, and Machado became his spokeswoman.
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Image: FEDERICO PARRA (AFP)
Source: Nachrichten
