Norwegian slave owner Jørgen Thormøhlen's manor house from 1685 to 1693. For many, Norway represents European racism disguised with a strong public relations veil. Photo: Kronstad Hovedgård/Wikipedia/file photo.
Caracas (OrinocoTribune.com)—Venezuela strongly repudiated a statement from the Norwegian Foreign Ministry, calling it a “vulgar and extravagant” attempt to justify US imperialism and military aggression against the nation.
The Venezuelan statement was issued on Saturday, August 30, in response to a Norwegian statement that expressed concern over alleged “forced disappearances” in Venezuela. The Norwegian government decried an increase in “forced disappearances” in Venezuela, claiming that the Venezuelan government is using it “as a weapon to silence members of the opposition.”
In a statement issued for the International Day of the Victims of Forced Disappearances, the Norwegian Foreign Ministry said that it was concerned about “disappearances associated with the elections in Venezuela, including short-term disappearances committed during and around the July 2024 presidential elections.”
“We are alarmed by the increasing use of forced disappearances, alleged cases of excessive use of force against protesters by state agents, unlawful killings, and other violations,” the statement added. “Political violence must cease immediately, and the Venezuelan people’s right to freedom of expression and peaceful political participation must be respected.”
Venezuela’s condemnation
In response, Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yván Gil remarked that the Norwegian statement “joins the US threat against Venezuela’s sovereignty, lending itself in a vulgar and extravagant manner to attack Venezuelan democracy.”
“Venezuela condemns the Norwegian Foreign Ministry’s illegal and immoral intervention in the internal affairs of a strong and participatory democracy like ours, and repudiates the subtle attempt to justify the US empire’s military aggression against Venezuela with absolutely cowardly arguments,” Gil added.
“Venezuela firmly condemns the statement by the Foreign Ministry of Norway which, going against the opinion of its own people, joins the threat against our sovereignty, vulgarly and extravagantly attacking Venezuelan democracy with forced and manipulated arguments, acting as judges in the international arena,” the message emphasized.
A history of mediation and current tensions
This situation comes about despite Norway having played an active role as a political mediator in Venezuela from 2019 to 2023. The Norwegian government mediated negotiations between Nicolás Maduro’s government and the opposition, though many analysts consider the Norwegian government as a mouthpiece for the US government.
Since the July 2024 presidential election, after which far-right criminals sowed chaos and death for 48 hours, Venezuela has experienced a relatively long period of peace and tranquility. For this reason, the Norwegian statement is being seen as a subtle excuse to legitimize recent US military threats against Venezuela.
Special for Orinoco Tribune by staff
OT/JRE/SC
