U.S. Moves Toward Reopening Embassy in Venezuela

The Trump administration has officially informed Congress about its intention to take initial steps toward possibly reopening the U.S. embassy in Caracas, Venezuela. This decision comes after the removal of socialist leader Nicolas Maduro.

According to a notice shared with Congress, the State Department is “regularly deploying and increasing the number of temporary personnel to perform ‘selected’ diplomatic missions.” This news was conveyed through identical letters to ten different House and Senate committees.

For the past seven years, the United States has lacked a diplomatic presence in Venezuela. The embassy in Caracas was closed in early 2019 after Maduro ordered a break in relations during a political crisis. By March of that year, the situation had deteriorated, leading to all remaining embassy staff leaving the country amidst widespread power outages.

Since then, any consular services have been handled by the Venezuelan Affairs Unit (VAU) of the U.S. embassy in Bogotá, Colombia—essentially the closest available option to the closed Caracas facility.

The timing of the notice is also quite notable; it was sent just two days prior to the Secretary of State’s testimony on Venezuela before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. The plan includes staff operating in temporary facilities until the existing embassy buildings meet necessary standards.

A recent report indicated that the U.S. is making “necessary preparations” for the possibility of reopening the embassy, pending a decision from President Trump. Last week, the U.S. appointed Laura Dogu as the new Chargé d’Affaires of the VAU in Bogotá.

A senior State Department official stated that the Trump administration aims to collaborate with transitional authorities to help stabilize Venezuela. This effort is linked to a three-phase plan presented to Congress and the American public.

This plan emphasizes the need for a full-time Chargé d’Affaires in the Venezuelan Affairs Division at the U.S. embassy in Bogotá, with Ambassador Dogu viewed as well-equipped to guide the team during this transitional phase.

Earlier this month, reports emerged that Venezuela’s government sent Félix Plasencia, its ambassador to the UK, to Washington for discussions with U.S. officials. Plasencia is recognized as a close aide to Delcy Rodriguez, the acting president of Venezuela. It’s unclear which U.S. officials would meet with him, but there are indications that one goal might be the reopening of the Venezuelan embassy in Washington, D.C., which has also been closed since 2019.