Venezuela and the United States have taken recent steps to reactivate their diplomatic relations through contacts and meetings at the foreign ministry level, in a process that points to the reopening of the respective embassies in Washington and Caracasas reported to EFE sources close to these meetings.
According to the diplomatic sources consulted, representatives of the Venezuelan Government headed by the president in charge, Delcy Rodríguez, and of the Trump Administrationhave held exchanges that seek to reopen both the Venezuelan diplomatic headquarters in Washington and the US delegation in Caracas.
The talks include the possible reopening of the Venezuelan diplomatic missions in the United States, closed since 2019when then-president Nicolás Maduro declared bilateral relations broken.
In the same period, Washington also closed its embassy in Caracas, located in Baruta, although after Maduro’s departure, efforts have been made by the State Department to evaluate its reopening.
US-Venezuela relations
Since the break in relations, the United States has handled matters related to Venezuela through its External Office for Venezuela, based in the US embassy in Bogotá.
During Maduro’s presidency and with Trump’s arrival in the White House, limited contacts between both countries were led by Richard Grenell.
After the capture of Nicolás Maduro On January 3 during a military operation in Caracas, the The Trump Administration has shown itself willing to negotiate a transition process with Delcy Rodríguez.
In this context, Trump held an extensive telephone conversation with the representative in chargewhom he has praised for meeting his team’s demands.
Additionally, this Thursday the director of the CIA, John Ratcliffe, visited Caracas to meet with the new Venezuelan leader.
New changes in the Venezuelan cabinet
In parallel to these diplomatic approaches, Delcy Rodríguez announced new changes in her cabinet this Friday, eleven days after assuming the leadership of the Executive.
Through his Telegram account, he reported the appointment of Freddy Ñáñez, until now Minister of Communication and Information, as head of Ecosocialism, replacing Aníbal Coronado.
Coronado was named the new Minister of Transportation, a position held by Ramón Velásquez Araguayán, whom Rodríguez thanked for his “commitment” and “work,” he said. EFE.
To fill the vacancy left by Ñáñez, the president in charge appointed the philosopher Miguel Ángel Pérez Pirela as the new Minister of Communication and Information.
These appointments are in addition to other previously announced changes, including the appointment of Captain Juan Escalona as Minister of the Office of the Presidency, as well as the appointment of Calixto Ortega, former president of the Central Bank, as vice president of economy.
Likewise, on January 6 dismissed Maduro’s Security Chief, Major General Javier Marcano Tábataand appointed in his place General Gustavo González López as commander of the Presidential Honor Guard and head of the General Directorate of Military Counterintelligence (DGCIM).
Delcy Rodríguez was sworn in as interim president on January 5 before the National Assembly chaired by her brother Jorge Rodríguez, following an order from the Supreme Court of Justice issued after the capture of Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, during the US attacks in Caracas and three other states.
Since then, the The government in charge has begun an “exploratory” process to resume relations with Washingtonhas agreed to send million barrels of crude oil to the US for its commercialization and has promoted the opening of the oil industry to foreign investment with the support of the Republican Administration.
