CARACAS (AP) — U.S. Ambassador Laura Dogu has made her way to Caracas to officially reopen the American diplomatic mission in Venezuela after a prolonged period of strained relations lasting seven years.
This development follows a recent military intervention ordered by U.S. President Donald Trump, which led to the removal of former Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro.
“My team and I are prepared to engage in meaningful work,” Dogu conveyed in a statement shared by the U.S. Embassy in Venezuela via X. The account also shared images of her arrival at Maiquetia airport.
The rift between Venezuela and the United States commenced in February 2019 at the behest of Maduro, culminating in the mutual closure of their respective embassies after Trump’s public backing of lawmaker Juan Guaidó’s claim as the interim president earlier that year.
Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello, a staunch Maduro supporter and influential figure in Venezuelan politics, had previously mentioned in January the potential reopening of the U.S. embassy as a means for the Venezuelan government to monitor the well-being of the detained ex-president in the U.S.
Venezuela’s foreign minister Yván Gil emphasized in a Telegram message that Dogu’s arrival marks the commencement of collaborative efforts to address and resolve existing disparities through diplomatic discourse, characterized by mutual respect and adherence to international law.
Dogu, who also served as an ambassador in Nicaragua and Honduras, touched down in Venezuela shortly after the country’s interim president, Delcy Rodríguez, unveiled an amnesty bill intended to secure the release of political detainees, a crucial demand of the Venezuelan opposition.
