US ambassador arrives in Venezuela to reopen diplomatic mission after 7 years

US charge d’affaires Laura Dogu arrived in Caracas on Saturday to officially reopen the United States diplomatic mission in Venezuela, restoring formal relations after seven years.

Dogu’s arrival follows significant political changes in Venezuela, including the recent removal of former President Nicolás Maduro from power in a US military action ordered by President Donald Trump.

In a post on X from the US Embassy’s account, Dogu said, “My team and I are ready to work,” alongside photos of her landing at Maiquetía airport. Venezuelan officials, including Foreign Minister Yván Gil, described her visit as part of a joint effort to address and resolve longstanding differences through diplomatic dialogue, mutual respect, and international law.

Relations between the two countries were severed in February 2019 after Maduro cut ties following then-US support for opposition leader Juan Guaidó’s interim presidency claim, leading both sides to close their embassies.

Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello, a prominent Maduro ally, said reopening the embassy would give the Venezuelan government oversight regarding the treatment of the deposed president, who is currently jailed in the United States.

Dogu — a former US ambassador to Nicaragua and Honduras — arrived one day after Venezuela’s interim leader Delcy Rodríguez announced a bill to offer amnesty to political prisoners, fulfilling a key opposition demand amid the political transition.