Venezuela Announces Closure of Embassy in Norway
Venezuela has announced that it will close its embassy in Norway, just days after Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado was awarded the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo.
The decision marks a fresh escalation in tensions between the government of President Nicolás Maduro and Western nations that have supported Venezuela’s pro-democracy opposition.
According to Reuters, Norway’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed on Monday that Venezuela’s diplomatic mission in Oslo had informed the host government of its closure, without giving a reason.
“It is regrettable,” a Norwegian Foreign Ministry spokesperson said. “Despite our differences, Norway wishes to keep the dialogue open with Venezuela and will continue to work in this direction.”
The spokesperson also emphasized that the Nobel Committee is entirely independent from the Norwegian government — an apparent response to Caracas’s anger over Machado’s Nobel recognition.
Nobel Prize for Opposition Leader Sparks Diplomatic Fallout
Maria Corina Machado, one of Venezuela’s most prominent opposition figures, was awarded the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize on Friday for what the committee described as her “extraordinary examples of civilian courage in Latin America in recent times.”
Machado, who has been in hiding since 2024 to avoid arrest, dedicated her Nobel win to “the suffering people of Venezuela” and to U.S. President Donald Trump, whom she thanked for supporting the fight against authoritarianism in Latin America.
Her award was seen internationally as a rebuke of Maduro’s government, which has been widely accused of election fraud, political repression, and human rights abuses.
Machado was barred from running in Venezuela’s 2024 presidential election, which was officially won by Maduro in a heavily disputed contest condemned by international observers.
Caracas Expands Diplomatic Presence in Africa
Alongside the Oslo embassy closure, Venezuela also announced plans to shut its embassy in Australia. Instead, it will open two new embassies — in Burkina Faso and Zimbabwe — nations it described as “strategic allies in the anti-colonial fight and in resistance to hegemonic pressures.”
The move reflects Caracas’s growing diplomatic pivot toward African and non-aligned countries, in line with Maduro’s push to strengthen ties outside the Western sphere of influence.
Neither Norway nor Australia maintains embassies in Caracas; both countries’ consular affairs for Venezuela are handled through their embassies in Colombia.
U.S. Relations and Regional Context
The development comes amid renewed tensions between Caracas and Washington. The United States, under President Donald Trump’s second administration, has declared a renewed “war on Latin American drug cartels,” naming Venezuela’s Tren de Aragua as a key target.
Since September, U.S. military forces have reportedly carried out multiple strikes on boats suspected of trafficking operations in the Caribbean Sea, according to White House briefings cited by U.S. media.
Maduro responded by accusing Washington of plotting regime change and urged the United Nations Security Council to intervene against what he called “acts of imperial aggression.”
“The Nobel Prize has become a political weapon,” Maduro said in a televised address following Machado’s award. “It’s being used to legitimize coup attempts and foreign interference.”
Norway’s Role in Venezuela’s Peace Talks
Norway has played a key mediating role in peace and negotiation efforts between the Venezuelan government and opposition forces for years. The Oslo-based dialogue process was central to previous attempts to restore democratic order and fair elections in Venezuela.
Analysts say the embassy closure could effectively end Norway’s mediation role, making future political negotiations more difficult.
“This is more than symbolic,” said a Caracas-based political analyst. “By closing the embassy, Maduro is cutting one of the last diplomatic channels between Venezuela and Europe that wasn’t openly hostile.”
Global Reactions
The Norwegian Nobel Committee declined to comment on Venezuela’s response, reaffirming its independence from governmental institutions. Human rights organizations across Latin America and Europe have condemned Venezuela’s move as “a retaliatory act against free expression and civil courage.”
International observers also noted the irony that Caracas is closing an embassy in the same city where one of its citizens was just honored for advocating democracy.
Key Takeaways
- Venezuela will close its embassy in Norway following Maria Corina Machado’s Nobel Peace Prize win.
- Machado, an opposition leader barred from elections, remains in hiding and has dedicated her award to Venezuelan citizens and U.S. President Donald Trump.
- Caracas will open new embassies in Burkina Faso and Zimbabwe, signaling a diplomatic shift toward Africa.
- Maduro accuses the Nobel Committee and the U.S. of political interference in Venezuela’s internal affairs.
- The move could end Norway’s role as a peace mediator in Venezuela’s political crisis.
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