The U.S. Department of State announced that American officials are examining the possibility of “gradually resuming” the operations of the embassy in Caracas.
Both countries signaled the possibility of restoring cooperation after the US attack on January 3, during which US forces captured the authoritarian leader of Venezuela, Nicolas Maduro. His duties were taken over by his deputy, Delcy Rodriguez.
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What actions are the Venezuelan authorities taking in relations with the US?
Who is the current president of Venezuela?
When does Delcy Rodriguez want to visit the White House?
Are the Venezuelan authorities planning trips abroad?
“Bolivarian government of Venezuela decided to begin a diplomatic inquiry process with the U.S. governmentwith a view to restoring diplomatic missions in both countries,” Venezuelan Foreign Minister Yvan Gil announced in a statement. Venezuela has not maintained formal diplomatic relations with the US since 2019.
The Venezuelan authorities “condemn” the US actions, but want to repair relations
Gil added that A delegation of the US Department of State will arrive in Venezuela, and a delegation of Venezuelan diplomats will be sent to the USA. The minister also repeated his condemnation of the “criminal, illegal aggression” by the US and the “illegal kidnapping of constitutional President Nicolas Maduro and first lady Cilia Flores.”
According to sources of the Spanish daily “ABC”, Rodriguez, who took over as president of Venezuela after Maduro's abduction, is seeking the opportunity to visit the White House next Tuesday. The newspaper noted that Rodriguez's trip to the US has not yet been confirmed. A number of formal issues stand in the way, including the fact that both countries do not maintain official diplomatic relations, and Rodriguez herself is subject to American sanctions for violating human rights.
The Venezuelan government announced on Friday that Rodriguez has no plans to travel abroad anytime soon. “As a government, we are focused on domestic tasks to guarantee our nation's right to peace and stability,” wrote Communications and Information Minister Freddy Nanez on the Telegram platform.
