Venezuela has announced the closure of its embassy in Oslo, just days after opposition leader María Corina Machado was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for her fight for democracy.
Although the Venezuelan government did not directly comment on Machado’s Nobel win, it said the move was part of an ongoing “restructuring” of its foreign service.
Norway’s Foreign Ministry confirmed the closure, noting that Caracas had provided no explanation for the sudden decision. “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, describing the move as “regrettable.”
She also clarified that the Nobel Peace Prize “is independent of the Norwegian government.”
The Nobel Committee in Oslo had on Friday honoured Machado for her “tireless work promoting democratic rights for the people of Venezuela.” However, President Nicolás Maduro dismissed the award, branding the 58-year-old opposition figure a “demonic witch.”
Machado has been one of Maduro’s most vocal critics, campaigning for democratic reforms and free elections despite years of persecution. Her opposition to Maduro’s 12-year rule — widely regarded as illegitimate by much of the international community — has forced her into hiding for much of the past year.
Nobel Committee chairman Jørgen Watne Frydnes described Machado as “a key, unifying figure in a political opposition that was once deeply divided… in a brutal authoritarian state that is now suffering a humanitarian and economic crisis.”
In a reaction to her award, Machado told BBC Mundo that the Nobel recognition was “like an injection” of hope and strength for Venezuelans.
