The United States and Venezuela have agreed to restore diplomatic and consular relations, reopening a formal channel between Washington and Caracas for the first time since ties were severed in 2019.
The decision marks a significant step in the cooperation framework that has emerged between the two governments following the dramatic U.S. operation in January that led to the capture of Venezuelan strongman Nicolás Maduro.
In a statement, the U.S. State Department said the agreement is intended to support stability and lay the groundwork for Venezuela’s political transition.
“The United States and the Venezuelan interim authorities have agreed to restore diplomatic and consular relations,” the department said. “This step will facilitate our joint efforts to promote stability, support economic recovery, and advance political reconciliation in Venezuela.”
The statement added that Washington’s engagement with the interim authorities in charge of Venezuela is designed to help create conditions for a democratic transition.
“Our collaboration is focused on helping the Venezuelan people move forward through a gradual process that creates the conditions for a peaceful transition to a democratically elected government,” the department said.
The announcement represents a sharp reversal from the diplomatic freeze that had defined relations between the two countries for nearly seven years.
The United States withdrew its diplomats and suspended operations at its embassy in Caracas in early 2019 after Maduro’s government cut diplomatic ties in response to Washington’s recognition of opposition leader Juan Guaidó as Venezuela’s interim president.
Since then, U.S. diplomatic engagement with Venezuela had largely been managed from the U.S. Embassy in Bogotá, Colombia.
The breakdown in relations became one of the most visible symbols of the deep political crisis that engulfed Venezuela during Maduro’s rule, as Washington imposed sweeping sanctions and sought to isolate the socialist government internationally.
The diplomatic thaw now unfolding follows the Trump administration’s move in January to capture Maduro along with his wife, Cilia Flores. They both were taken to New York, where they now are being tried for alleged drug trafficking charges.
Following Maduro’s removal, the administration unveiled a three-phase road map intended to guide Venezuela through a political transition. The plan envisions a sequence of stabilization, economic recovery and, ultimately, a democratic election.
President Donald Trump tapped longtime Chavista power broker Delcy Rodríguez, Maduro’s vice president, to lead the initial stabilization phase as interim president, a decision that initially surprised many analysts but has since become a central element of Washington’s strategy.
Trump has repeatedly praised Rodríguez’s cooperation with the United States and described her government as a partner in restoring order to the country after years of economic collapse and political turmoil.
Officials say rebuilding diplomatic channels is a key part of that process.
In recent weeks, both governments have taken initial steps toward reestablishing a diplomatic presence in each other’s capitals.
In late January, Laura Dogu, the U.S. chargé d’affaires for Venezuela, arrived in Caracas with the mission of beginning the process of reopening the U.S. diplomatic mission.
The reestablishment of consular services could have immediate practical effects for millions of Venezuelans living abroad and for Americans with ties to the South American country, including those seeking visas, passports and other documentation.
For Washington, the diplomatic shift also reflects a broader effort to stabilize Venezuela after years of political upheaval and economic collapse that triggered one of the largest migration crises in the Western Hemisphere.
More than eight million Venezuelans have fled the country over the past decade, many settling across Latin America and in the United States.
U.S. officials have said that restoring basic governance and economic activity in Venezuela is essential to slowing migration pressures and promoting regional stability.