CARACAS — Venezuela announced Monday it will close its embassies in Norway and Australia while opening new diplomatic missions in Burkina Faso and Zimbabwe, a move President Nicolás Maduro’s government described as part of a “strategic reallocation of resources” amid escalating tensions with the United States, as reported by “Reuters”.
The Venezuelan foreign ministry said consular services for nationals in Norway and Australia would be managed by “regional diplomatic missions,” with logistical details to follow. The closures come days after the Norwegian Nobel Committee awarded the 2025 Nobel Peace Prize to Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado for her pro-democracy activism—an announcement that has drawn sharp contrasts between Caracas and Oslo.
Norway’s foreign ministry confirmed receipt of Venezuela’s notice but expressed regret. “Despite differing views on several issues, Norway wishes to keep dialogue with Venezuela open,” a spokesperson told Reuters. Norway, which lacks an embassy in Caracas, manages Venezuelan affairs through its embassy in Bogotá, Colombia.
The Venezuelan government described its new missions in Africa as partnerships with “two sister nations, strategic allies in the anti-colonial struggle and resistance against hegemonic pressures.” Officials said the embassies would advance cooperation in agriculture, energy, mining, and education, aligning with countries more sympathetic to Russia, one of Caracas’s key backers at the United Nations.
The diplomatic reshuffle follows weeks of rising friction between Venezuela and Washington. Caracas recently appealed to the U.N. for support after what it called deadly U.S. military strikes on vessels near its Caribbean coast—actions Washington claims targeted drug trafficking operations.
Maduro has accused the U.S. of seeking regime change and warned of a possible armed confrontation, while Washington continues to label his government an illegitimate narco-state.
For now, Caracas appears to be redrawing its diplomatic map—pulling away from Western allies and tightening its embrace of nations that echo its defiance of U.S. influence.
