President Nicolas Maduro ordered the closure of the Venezuelan embassy in Norway a few days after Maria Corina Machado, the opposition leader of Venezuela, received the Nobel Peace Prize. This action reflects the regime's opposition to the Norwegian Nobel Committee's decision to honour and recognise Machado's struggle for democracy in the South American nation.

additionally, Caracas declared its intention "to strengthen ties with the Global South" by closing its embassy in Australia and establishing missions in Zimbabwe and Burkina Fasso.

Why did Venezuela close its embassy to Norway?
The Maduro government has ordered the closure of Venezuela's embassy in the capital of Norway due to an internal "reorganisation" of its diplomatic posts, the country's foreign ministry stated in a statement posted on Instagram.

In the negotiations between Maduro's regime and the Venezuelan opposition, of which Machado is a member, Norway has notably played a key mediating role. The Barbados Agreement failed as a result of intermittent negotiations between the two parties mediated by the Norwegian government between 2019 and 2024.

But according to Norway's foreign ministry, Venezuela abruptly closed its mission in Oslo and gave no explanation. "It is unfortunate. Norway wants to maintain communication with Venezuela despite our disagreements on a number of subjects, and we will keep working towards this goal," ministry spokesperson Cecilie Roang told news agency AFP.