The US State Department announced on Monday that the United States has formally reopened its embassy in Caracas, the first time the mission has operated in Venezuela since March 2019.
Washington closed the embassy during the Trump administration following Nicolas Maduro’s disputed 2018 election. After a January 2026 military operation that captured Maduro and brought him to the United States on drug‑trafficking and narco‑terrorism charges, the second Trump administration reestablished diplomatic relations with Venezuela’s acting president, Delcy Rodríguez.
The State Department said the move ‘‘marks a new chapter’’ in US diplomatic presence in Venezuela. Laura F. Dogu, a career diplomat who previously served as ambassador to Honduras and Nicaragua, has been named charge d’affaires. Dogu arrived in late January to lead US efforts on the ground, the department said, and the US flag was raised at the Caracas chancery in mid‑March to signal the formal resumption of ties agreed earlier that month.
Dogu’s team is assessing and repairing the chancery to restore public consular services. Officials say the building suffered from issues such as mold after seven years of inactivity, but embassy staff are resuming normal diplomatic functions.
The State Department framed the reopening as a key milestone in implementing the administration’s three‑phase plan for Venezuela and said it will strengthen the US ability to engage directly with the interim authorities, Venezuelan civil society, and the private sector.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio welcomed the development, saying the country is beginning to see stability that could encourage businesses to return. Speaking to Al Jazeera, Rubio credited interim authorities for progress while urging a full transition to democratic rule so Venezuela can reach its economic potential.
Maduro remains in US custody and is being prosecuted in New York on narco‑terrorism and related charges.
Edited by Rana Taha