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Venezuela has closed its embassy in Norway without explanation, the Norwegian foreign ministry confirmed Monday, three days after the Nobel Committee awarded its Peace Prize to Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado.
"We have been informed by the embassy of Venezuela that it is shutting its doors and no reason has been given," foreign ministry spokeswoman Cecilie Roang said in an email.
The embassy's phone lines were disconnected by Monday evening, and staff were no longer answering calls, according to Norwegian daily Verdens Gang, which first reported the closure.
The timing of the shutdown follows Friday's announcement that Machado, 58, had won the 2024 Nobel Peace Prize for her efforts to restore democracy in Venezuela. The Norwegian Nobel Committee honored her "for her tireless work promoting democratic rights for the people of Venezuela and for her struggle to achieve a just and peaceful transition from dictatorship to democracy," committee chair Jorgen Watne Frydnes said.
Machado has become a prominent critic of President Nicolas Maduro's government and was barred from running in Venezuela's 2024 presidential election. Maduro was declared the winner of that contest despite widespread opposition protests disputing the results.
On Sunday, without directly referencing the Nobel award, Maduro called Machado a "demonic witch," a term the Venezuelan government has used repeatedly to describe her.
Norway expressed disappointment at the embassy closure. "It is regrettable," Roang said. "Despite our differences on several issues, Norway wishes to keep the dialogue open with Venezuela and will continue to work in this direction."
Norway has previously served as a mediator in Venezuelan political disputes, hosting talks between the government and opposition in 2019 and 2021. The Nordic nation's role in facilitating dialogue makes the embassy closure particularly significant for diplomatic efforts in the region.
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