WASHINGTON, D.C.: Following the Trump administration's ouster of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in early January, the United States has restored full diplomatic relations with the South American country and formally reopened its embassy in Caracas.
The State Department announced on March 30 that it had resumed normal operations at the embassy in Caracas after a seven-year closure that began during President Donald Trump's first term. The embassy had been in need of significant repair, including remediation from mold, since its closure.
A small group of U.S. diplomats, who were based in nearby Colombia, had been working in Caracas for over a month and even held a flag-raising ceremony on March 14. However, the embassy officially reopened only on March 30.
The State Department said reopening the U.S. Embassy in Caracas is an important step in the president's three-phase plan for Venezuela. It will help the U.S. work more closely with Venezuela's interim government, civil groups, and businesses.
It also called this move "a new chapter" in U.S. diplomatic relations with Venezuela.
Work on the embassy's consular section—where people go for passports and visas—is still not finished. For now, anyone needing help must contact the U.S. Embassy in Bogota, Colombia.
