Venezuela has announced the closure of its embassy in Oslo, Norway, just days after opposition leader María Corina Machado was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. The Venezuelan government cited a restructuring of its foreign service for the decision, without directly referencing Machado’s prize.
Norway’s foreign ministry confirmed the embassy’s closure, stating they regretted the move. “Despite our differences on several issues, Norway wishes to keep the dialogue open with Venezuela and will continue to work in this direction,” a ministry spokeswoman said, emphasizing that the Nobel Prize is awarded independently of the Norwegian government.
Machado has been a prominent critic of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, whose leadership is viewed as illegitimate by many nations. Venezuela has also closed its embassy in Australia and opened new diplomatic missions in Zimbabwe and Burkina Faso, characterizing these countries as “strategic partners in the fight” against “hegemonic pressures.” Machado herself has reportedly been living in hiding for much of the past year.
The Nobel Committee lauded Machado for her “tireless work promoting democratic rights for the people of Venezuela.” However, President Maduro had previously referred to the laureate as a “demonic witch.”
The decision to close the embassy comes amid heightened tensions between Venezuela and the United States, following recent US military strikes on boats alleged to be carrying narcotics from Venezuela. These actions, described by the Trump administration as part of a war on drugs, have drawn criticism from several countries, including Venezuela and Colombia, with some legal experts deeming them a breach of international law.
This diplomatic move by Venezuela mirrors a past incident in 2010, when China suspended relations with Norway after the Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to political dissident Liu Xiaobo, only normalizing ties six years later.
In an interview, Machado described the Nobel award as a significant boost for her movement, stating, “It infuses energy, hope, strength on the Venezuelan people because we realise that we are not alone.” Nobel chairman Jørgen Watne Frydnes highlighted Machado as a crucial, unifying figure in Venezuela’s opposition, especially within an authoritarian state facing a severe humanitarian and economic crisis.