US Reestablishes Diplomatic Ties: New Charge d’Affaires Arrives in Venezuela After 7-Year Hiatus

CARACAS – Laura Dogu, the U.S. Charge d’Affaires, touched down in Caracas on Saturday, marking the reopening of the American diplomatic mission in Venezuela after a seven-year hiatus in diplomatic relations.

This significant development follows nearly a month after an operation directed by U.S. President Donald Trump led to the ousting of Venezuela’s former leader, Nicolás Maduro.

“My team and I are ready to work,” Dogu stated in a message shared on the U.S. Embassy in Venezuela’s account on X, accompanied by images of her arrival at Maiquetia airport.

The diplomatic ties between Venezuela and the United States were severed in February 2019 when Maduro decided to break relations. This move came after President Trump publicly recognized Juan Guaidó, a lawmaker who declared himself interim president in January of that year, leading both nations to shut down their embassies.

Diosdado Cabello, Venezuela’s Interior Minister and a staunch supporter of Maduro, expressed in January that reopening the U.S. embassy would provide the Venezuelan government an opportunity to monitor the conditions of the former president, who is currently detained in the United States.

Venezuela’s foreign minister Yván Gil said in a message on Telegram that Dogu’s arrival is part of a joint schedule to “deal with and resolve existing differences through diplomatic dialogue, in a foundation of mutual respect and (based on) international law.”

Dogu, who was previously ambassador in Nicaragua and Honduras, arrived in Venezuela one day after the country’s interim president, Delcy Rodríguez, announced an amnesty bill to release political prisoners. That move was one of the key demands of the Venezuelan opposition.

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This story has been corrected to show that Dogu’s title is charge d’affaires, not ambassador.