Venezuela has closed its embassy in Oslo, Norway’s foreign ministry confirmed on Monday, days after opposition leader Maria Corina Machado won the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize.
The ministry said it had been informed of the decision by Venezuelan officials, without any explanation. Local newspaper VG reported that calls to the embassy went unanswered before its phone lines were disconnected.
Foreign ministry spokesperson Cecilie Roang said Norway “wants to keep the dialogue with Venezuela open,” despite differing views.
Machado, a long-time critic of President Nicolás Maduro, was recognised for her efforts to promote democracy and free elections in Venezuela. She remains in hiding after being barred from holding public office and facing legal pressure from authorities.
The move comes amid speculation that the closure may be linked to Machado’s award, which has been celebrated by Venezuelan opposition groups but criticised by pro-government media in Caracas.
Although the Nobel ceremony takes place in Oslo, the Norwegian Nobel Committee says it operates independently and has no formal link to the Norwegian government.
Norway, which mediated talks between Maduro’s government and the opposition in 2019 and 2021, has yet to say whether diplomatic contact will continue through other channels.
Venezuela's government said on Monday it will close its embassies in Norway and Australia and open new ones in Burkina Faso and Zimbabwe as part of a restructuring of its foreign service, after weeks of growing tensions with the U.S.
The closures are part of the "strategic re-assignation of resources," President Nicolas Maduro's government said in a statement, adding that consular services to Venezuelans in Norway and Australia would be provided by diplomatic missions, with details to be shared in coming days.
Caracas said it was setting up new embassies in "two sister nations, strategic allies in the anti-colonial fight and in the resistance against hegemonic pressures."
It added that these new embassies would serve to launch joint projects involving agriculture, energy, education, mining and other common interests.
On 8 January, 2026, Azerbaijan will carry out the next delivery of oil products to Armenia, with shipments originating from the Guzdak railway station...
Azerbaijan and Syria have reached an agreement to establish a joint business council aimed at enhancing trade and economic cooperation between the two...
Snow and ice caused travel chaos in northwest Europe on Wednesday, while others were delighted by the snow-covered streets of Paris, venturing out on ...
The U.S. has seized a Russian-flagged oil tanker that had been followed by a Russian submarine on Wednesday, following a more than two-week-long pursu...
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy sought to advance EU membership discussions and secure stricter sanctions on Russia during a meeting on Wednes...
On 8 January, 2026, Azerbaijan will carry out the next delivery of oil products to Armenia, with shipments originating from the Guzdak railway station and the Baku cargo station.
Azerbaijan and Syria have reached an agreement to establish a joint business council aimed at enhancing trade and economic cooperation between the two nations, according to the Syrian embassy in Azerbaijan.
Snow and ice caused travel chaos in northwest Europe on Wednesday, while others were delighted by the snow-covered streets of Paris, venturing out on sledges and skis.
The U.S. has seized a Russian-flagged oil tanker that had been followed by a Russian submarine on Wednesday, following a more than two-week-long pursuit across the Atlantic as part of a U.S. "blockade" on Venezuelan oil exports, according to two U.S. officials speaking to Reuters.
Germany’s foreign intelligence service secretly monitored the telephone communications of former U.S. President Barack Obama for several years, including calls made aboard Air Force One, according to an investigation by the German newspaper Die Zeit.
Diplomatic tensions between Tokyo and Beijing escalated as Japan slams China's export ban on dual-use goods. Markets have wobbled as fears grow over a potential rare earth embargo affecting global supply chains.
Iran’s chief justice has warned protesters there will be “no leniency for those who help the enemy against the Islamic Republic”, as rights groups reported a rising death toll during what observers describe as the country’s biggest wave of unrest in three years.
President Ilham Aliyev said 2025 has politically closed the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict, as a Trump-era reset in U.S. ties, new transport corridors and a push into AI, renewables and defence production reshape Azerbaijan’s priorities.
Open-source intelligence (OSINT) sources reported a significant movement of U.S. military aircraft towards the Middle East in recent hours. Dozens of U.S. Air Force aerial refuelling tankers and heavy transport aircraft were observed heading eastwards, presumably to staging points in the region.
The U.S. has seized a Russian-flagged oil tanker that had been followed by a Russian submarine on Wednesday, following a more than two-week-long pursuit across the Atlantic as part of a U.S. "blockade" on Venezuelan oil exports, according to two U.S. officials speaking to Reuters.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy sought to advance EU membership discussions and secure stricter sanctions on Russia during a meeting on Wednesday as Cyprus took over the European Union's rotating presidency.
Two people have been killed after a private helicopter crashed at a recreation centre in Russia’s Perm region, Russian authorities and local media have said.
Türkiye is considering draft legislation that would prohibit children under the age of 15 from opening social-media accounts, Family and Social Services Minister Mahinur Özdemir Göktaş has said.
Türkiye is prepared to “assume responsibility” for the security of the Black Sea once a peace agreement is signed between Russia and Ukraine, Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan has said.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment