US Announces Resumption of Operations at Caracas Embassy

RunWithRugs · 2026-04-02T03:15:41+00:00

The US State Department has formally resumed operations at its Caracas embassy after over six years, marking a diplomatic reset with Venezuela. Ambassador Laura F. Dogu is leading the initiative to restore embassy operations amid ongoing challenges, including President Maduro's legal issues in the US.

RunWithRugs

2026-04-02 03:15:41

Abstract generation in progress

(MENAFN) The US State Department announced Monday the formal resumption of operations at its embassy in Caracas, framing the development as a pivotal diplomatic reset with Venezuela after more than six years of closure.

“Today, we are formally resuming operations at the U.S. Embassy in Caracas, marking a new chapter in our diplomatic presence in Venezuela,” the department said in a statement.

Ambassador Laura F. Dogu touched down in Caracas in January, serving as chargé d’affaires to spearhead on-the-ground restoration efforts. Her team has been working to rehabilitate the embassy compound and lay the groundwork for the “full return of personnel” and the eventual reinstatement of consular services, the statement noted.

The Caracas embassy had been shuttered in March 2019, when the administration of then-President Donald Trump threw its weight behind opposition figure Juan Guaidó, recognizing him as Venezuela’s interim president while rejecting Nicolás Maduro’s 2018 reelection as fraudulent. In the intervening years, the US mission in neighboring Colombia assumed responsibility for Washington’s diplomatic affairs in the country.

The reopening unfolds against a dramatic backdrop: Maduro is currently in US custody following his seizure during an overnight US military raid in Caracas in early January.

A federal judge ruled last week against dismissing narcoterrorism and drug trafficking charges leveled against Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores. Both remain held in New York after entering not guilty pleas, with no trial date yet scheduled.

MENAFN31032026000045017169ID1110922464

This page may contain third-party content, which is provided for information purposes only (not representations/warranties) and should not be considered as an endorsement of its views by Gate, nor as financial or professional advice. See Disclaimer for details.