Today's Edition
WASHINGTON (AFP)
The US embassy in Venezuela resumed operations Monday after being closed for seven years, the State Department announced, following Washington's ouster of former president Nicolas Maduro.
"Today, we are formally resuming operations at the US embassy in Caracas, marking a new chapter in our diplomatic presence in Venezuela," the State Department said in a statement.
The normal functioning of the embassy "will strengthen our ability to engage directly with Venezuela's interim government, civil society and the private sector," it said.
The United States shuttered its embassy in Caracas in March 2019 shortly after Washington along with a number of Western and Latin American allies declared Maduro to be illegitimate following his election. US President Donald Trump in January ordered a raid in which forces took Maduro to New York to face trafficking charges in court.
The US since then has been working with interim president Delcy Rodriguez, who was Maduro's vice president. Trump has hailed the relationship with Rodriguez on his key priorities including assisting US oil companies.
Laura Dogu, a veteran US diplomat, arrived in Caracas in January to head the embassy, where the US flag was raised again on March 14.
