Venezuela to close embassy in Norway after opposition leader wins Nobel Peace Prize

Venezuela has said it will close its embassy in Norway, days after opposition leader María Corina Machado was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo.

Norway's foreign ministry said that the Venezuelan embassy had not given any explanation for its decision on Monday.

"It is regrettable. Despite our differences on several issues, Norway wishes to keep the dialogue open with Venezuela and will continue to work in this direction," a foreign ministry spokesperson said.

The ministry emphasised that the Nobel committee responsible for the prize is entirely separate from the Norwegian government.

Machado was announced as the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize winner on Friday for her fight to achieve a democratic transition in the South American nation.

The 58-year-old, who has been in hiding over the past year, was disqualified from standing in last year’s election in Venezuela. President Nicolas Maduro was declared the winner despite credible evidence to the contrary, sparking huge protests that were met with a violent crackdown by the government

Machado dedicated her Nobel victory to the "suffering people of Venezuela and to President Donald Trump for his decisive support of our cause". There had been speculation about Trump winning the prize, partly fuelled by the US president himself.

In addition to Norway, Venezuela's government also announced on Monday that it would close its embassy in Australia and open new ones in Burkina Faso and Zimbabwe.

It described the African countries as "two sister nations, strategic allies in the anti-colonial fight and in the resistance against hegemonic pressures."

The decision to close the embassies in Australia and Norway — two major US allies — comes amid rising tensions between Caracas and Washington.

The US clashed with Venezuela at an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council on Friday, with the Trump administration vowing to use its "full might" to wipe out drug cartels and the Maduro government saying it anticipates "an armed attack".

Venezuela asked for the meeting of the UN's most powerful body following deadly US military strikes on four boats that Washington claims were transporting drugs.

Caracas has accused Trump of seeking to topple Maduro and threatening "peace, security and stability regionally and internationally".