Venezuela’s president closes embassy in Norway over Nobel Peace Prize award to opposition leader Machado

International Desk

Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado was awarded this year’s Nobel Peace Prize for her efforts to restore democratic rights against the Maduro government. But within two days of the award, President Nicolas Maduro’s government announced the closure of Venezuela’s embassy in Norway.

Analysts see the move as a direct protest against the Nobel Committee’s “controversial” decision, which could further complicate Venezuela’s political crisis.

Meanwhile, Norway’s Foreign Ministry described the incident as “sad” but promised that the path to dialogue would remain open.

“This decision is regrettable, but we want to keep the channels of dialogue with Venezuela open,” said Cecilie Rowang, a spokeswoman for the Norwegian Foreign Ministry. “The Norwegian government has no involvement in the Nobel Prize.”

The Norwegian Nobel Committee announced the award of the Nobel Peace Prize to Machado on Friday, October 10, in Oslo.

“Machado is an extraordinary example of civil courage in Latin America in recent times,” said committee chairman Jürgen Wotton Friedens.

Machado, who has been in hiding since being barred from running for president by a Supreme Court ruling, dedicated his Nobel Peace Prize to the “Venezuelan people” and “support” for US President Donald Trump.

The Maduro government announced on October 13 that it was “closing” the embassy in Oslo, and that it would also close its embassy in Australia and open new embassies in Zimbabwe and Burkina Faso.

The Venezuelan Foreign Ministry statement said it was part of an “internal restructuring of diplomatic missions” and an initiative to “strengthen relations with the Global South.”

However, Venezuela’s diplomatic move is comparable to the severance of China’s relations with Norway after the Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to China’s Liu Xiaobo in 2010, which took six years to normalize.

Nicolas Maduro, who won the election with a landslide victory, called Machado a “monstrous witch” on Sunday, though he did not directly mention her Nobel Prize win.

Machado, who leads the Vente Venezuela party, has long challenged Maduro’s 12-year rule as “illegitimate,” despite allegations that he is backed and financed by Western powers.

“The Nobel Prize is like an injection for our political movement,” Machado told Fox News.

Analysts say the diplomatic move reflects Maduro’s tough stance amid Venezuela’s internal turmoil and international pressure. The series of Machado’s Nobel Peace Prize win and embassy closures has thrown Venezuela’s political future into fresh doubt.

Who is Maria Corina Machado?

The Norwegian Nobel Committee said that Venezuelan politician and human rights activist Maria Corina Machado has long been working in the country’s persistent movement for democracy against the country’s long political instability and dictatorship. Her courageous leadership has given a new dimension to the struggle for fundamental rights and freedom of the Venezuelan people.

María Corina Machado was born on October 7, 1967, in Caracas, the capital of Venezuela. After graduating with a degree in Industrial Engineering from the Andrés Bello Catholic University, she pursued higher studies in Management and Economics. From a young age, she began to be active in the cause of civil rights and democratic reform.

In 2002, Machado founded the election monitoring organization “Sumate”, which works to ensure the transparency of the Venezuelan electoral process. He later founded the political party “Vente Venezuela” and served as its national coordinator. His outspoken stance in favor of democracy, good governance, and civil rights made him popular throughout the country.

He served as a member of the National Assembly from 2011 to 2014. During this time, he was vocal against the government’s repressive policies and corruption. He was one of the leaders of the anti-government movement in 2014, which brought him to the center of opposition politics.

Machado’s outspokenness and uncompromising stance often earned him the ire of the government. He was nominated as the opposition coalition’s candidate in the upcoming presidential election in 2024, but the government declared him ineligible to hold public office for 15 years.

The government’s repression intensified before and after the election. Arrests and violence against opposition activists increased. Protests spread to many cities, killing at least 20 people. In such a situation, Machado went into hiding, but through various statements he called on the people to continue the peaceful movement.

According to the Nobel Committee, María Corina Machado has become a symbol of courage and determination at a time when the Venezuelan people live in fear, oppression and uncertainty. Her efforts to achieve peaceful change and her unwavering belief in democratic values ​​have earned her this international recognition.

Earlier in 2024, the European Parliament awarded him the Sarkhov Prize. In February 2025, he received the Ivan Allen Jr. Prize for Social Courage from the Georgia Institute in the United States. In the same year, Time magazine included him in the list of 100 most influential people in the world.

Machado’s achievement will serve as an inspiration not only for Venezuela, but for pro-democracy and human rights activists around the world. His struggle proves that peaceful resistance for justice and freedom can one day bring the world’s most prestigious recognition.