The State Department said it had formally reopened its embassy in Caracas after seven years. The US seized President Nicolas Maduro in a military raid in January and has since reestablished diplomatic ties.The US State Deparment on Monday said it had formally reopened its embassy in Caracas for the first time since March 2019. The US shuttered its embassy in Venezuela during President Donald Trump's first term, in the aftermath of former President Nicolas Maduro's disputed election win earlier in 2018. But since the military operation that seized Maduro and took him to the US on drugs trafficking charges in January, the second Trump administration has reopened diplomatic ties with Venezuela's acting President Delcy Rodriguez. "Today, we are formally resuming operations at the US Embassy in Caracas, marking a new chapter in our diplomatic presence in Venezuela," the State Department wrote. How is the embassy reopening progressing? The US has appointed Laura F. Dogu, a veteran diplomat with past ambassadorial postings in the region in Honduras and Nicaragua, as charge d'affaires to Venezuela. She arrived in late January to "lead the US government's efforts on the ground," as the State Department put it. The US flag was first hoisted at the site in mid-March to mark the formal resumption of diplomatic ties, agreed earlier in the month. Dogu's team is still working on restoring the chancery building where consular services for members of the public are dealt with, amid problems like mold buildup after seven years of inactivity, but the diplomacy-focused Embassy segment is resuming normal operations. "The resumption of operations at US Embassy Caracas is a key milestone in implementing the President’s three‑phase plan for Venezuela and will strengthen our ability to engage directly with Venezuela’s interim government, civil society, and the private sector," the State Department wrote. Secretary of State Rubio says 'stability brings businesses back' Secretary of State Marco Rubio hailed progress in Venezuela since the January move to oust and abduct Maduro, the sitting president even if one not recognized as legitimate by the US and several other Western countries. He said the country was beginning to see "the kind of stability that brings businesses back." Speaking to Al Jazeera, Rubio credited the interim authorities but called for an eventual transition to democracy. "You want to see a full transition because in order for Venezuela to fulfill its economic potential, it has to have a stable, democratic government," he said. Edited by: Rana Taha
