Caracas, Venezuela — The United States resumed operations at its embassy in Venezuela on Monday after being closed for seven years.
The announcement follows a rapid rapprochement between President Donald Trump’s administration and Delcy Rodriguez’s interim government, which took power after U.S. troops arrested Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Celia Flores, on January 3.
The U.S. State Department confirmed the move in a statement, noting that the resumption of activity marks a “new chapter” in U.S. diplomatic activities in the country.
“The resumption of operations at the U.S. Embassy in Caracas is an important milestone in executing the President’s three-phase plan for Venezuela and will strengthen our ability to communicate directly with Venezuela’s interim government, civil society, and the private sector,” the statement said.
Relations between Washington and Caracas were disrupted in January 2019 after Maduro accused the US government of ‘interventionism’ (during Trump’s first term as president) over his recognition of Representative Juan Guaidó as Venezuela’s interim president.
In early March, the two governments formalized the restoration of diplomatic relations.
The diplomatic mission is led by Chargé d’Affaires Laura Dogu, who arrived in Venezuela in January to lead this process. Her team is currently working to restore the embassy with a view to the full return of staff and resumption of consular services “as quickly as possible,” according to the State Department.
“We are starting a new chapter in our relationship,” Toolo said in Spanish in a video message shared on social media.
According to the embassy, the Caracas team will restore basic diplomatic functions, including cooperation with political actors, civil society and the private sector, as well as strengthening ties between business leaders of the two countries.
“We are just getting started and there is much work to be done as we continue to implement the three-phase plan of ‘stabilization,’ ‘recovery,’ and ‘transition’ that the Trump administration announced in January,” Tool said.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio recently announced that the country has already entered Phase 2.
Embassy officials emphasized that the return to Caracas will allow for greater engagement with various sectors of the country as well as creating employment opportunities within the diplomatic mission.
The reopening comes just days after a delegation led by Venezuelan Ambassador Felix Placencia traveled to Washington to meet with U.S. officials and take control of Venezuela’s diplomatic mission, which has been managed by the State Department since 2023.
During the diplomatic hiatus, U.S. diplomatic activity toward Venezuela was conducted through the U.S. Embassy office in Bogota, Colombia.
Featured Image: Screenshot of Chargé d’Affaires Laura Dogu announcing the reopening of the U.S. Embassy in Caracas on social media.
Image source: U.S. Embassy in Caracas via.
