Oslo/Caracas: Venezuela has closed its embassy in Norway just days after opposition leader María Corina Machado was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo, a move viewed by many as a diplomatic snub, though official sources claim it is part of a wider foreign service restructuring.

In a statement on Monday, President Nicolás Maduro’s government confirmed the embassy’s closure, along with that of its mission in Australia. At the same time, Venezuela is opening diplomatic outposts in Zimbabwe and Burkina Faso, described in the statement as “strategic partners in the fight” against “hegemonic pressures.”

Norway's Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed regret over the closure.

“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,” said foreign ministry spokesperson Cecilie Roang in an email to AFP. By Monday evening, phone lines to the Venezuelan embassy in Oslo had already been disconnected.

The closure comes three days after Machado was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. Although the Venezuelan government has not officially commented on Machado’s win, tensions have intensified since the announcement. 

Machado says Maduro will leave power soon

Speaking to AFP from an undisclosed location on Monday, Machado said that President Maduro’s “time is up”, but added that he could still exit peacefully if he chooses to negotiate.

“Maduro currently has the opportunity to move toward a peaceful transition,” she said. “We are ready to offer guarantees, guarantees that we will not make public until we are sitting at that negotiation table.”

She warned, however, that if he continues to resist, “the consequences will be entirely his responsibility.”

“But with or without negotiation, he will leave power.”

Machado also indicated that those aiding a transition, including the military, could be offered protections.

“This message has been sent to the entire structure of the armed forces, police, and public employees,” she said. “More and more, they are reaching out and providing us with information.”

When asked whether she anticipated an uprising, Machado replied: “We all — civilians and military — have a role to play.” However, she declined to comment on the possibility of US military intervention. Her remarks come as a flotilla of American gunboats was reportedly seen off the Venezuelan coast.

In her Nobel acceptance speech, Machado dedicated the award to “the suffering people of Venezuela” and to former US President Donald Trump, citing his “decisive support of our cause.”

Meanwhile, President Maduro, without directly referring to the Nobel, dismissed Machado as a “demonic witch” in a televised address, a term frequently used by government figures to denounce political opponents.

Adding to the volatile climate, Machado on Monday night called for an investigation after two Venezuelan activists were shot and wounded in Bogotá, Colombia. The activists, Luis Alejandro Peche and Yendri Velásquez, were reportedly attacked while preparing to board a bus.

“They were persecuted by the dictatorship of Nicolas Maduro,” Machado said on X (formerly Twitter).

The incident has further heightened tensions as international pressure mounts on the Maduro regime, now in its 26th year under his leadership and that of his predecessor, Hugo Chávez.

AFP