Venezuela’s Diplomatic Moves Amidst U.S. Engagements
Venezuela’s government is sending a special envoy to Washington, D.C., on Thursday, coinciding with President Trump’s meeting with anti-socialist Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Colina Machado, as reported by Bloomberg.
Félix Plasencia, the current Venezuelan ambassador to the UK, will represent the regime. He is said to be visiting the U.S. on behalf of Delcy Rodriguez, who is considered the “acting president” of Venezuela, according to an anonymous source.
Plasencia, recognized as a “close confidant” of Rodriguez, has had a significant diplomatic career, having served as chief of protocol during Rodriguez’s time as foreign minister under Nicolás Maduro from 2014 to 2017. Interestingly, he is also a dual citizen of Spain and served briefly as Maduro’s foreign minister in 2021 and 2022. He has been involved in controversies, like the 2020 incident when Rodriguez landed in Madrid despite EU travel restrictions.
Before his appointment in London, Plasencia was the Venezuelan ambassador to Colombia, where relations were restored during President Gustavo Petro’s early administration.
His visit to the U.S. will align with Machado’s meeting with Trump, an engagement first acknowledged by the President last week during an interview.
Machado, who leads the center-right party Vente Venezuela, fled Venezuela in December with assistance from the Trump administration and recently received the Nobel Peace Prize in Norway for her efforts to restore democracy in her country.
Last week, Machado also met with Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican, although details of that meeting haven’t been disclosed by the Holy See.
Trump has expressed interest in discussing matters with Machado and mentioned that her involvement in the Venezuelan cause is significant. Nevertheless, while Machado has announced plans to share her Nobel Prize with Trump for his support, the Norwegian Nobel Institute clarified that the award cannot be transferred or shared.
Sources indicate that it’s currently unclear who will meet with Plasencia during his U.S. trip. Officially, the visit is said to relate to discussions about reopening Venezuela’s embassy in Washington, which has been closed since 2019 when Maduro cut diplomatic ties with the U.S.
A recent report suggested that the U.S. is preparing a team to possibly reopen its embassy in Caracas, should Trump choose to move in that direction.
Rodriguez assumed the role of “acting president” just hours after the U.S. launched an operation to apprehend Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, who are presently detained in Brooklyn on multiple serious charges.
While Trump has stated that Rodriguez is collaborating closely with U.S. authorities, he also exhibits a somewhat contradictory position, claiming to be in control of the socialist regime at home.
