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The United States and Venezuela have agreed to reestablish diplomatic relations, marking a significant shift after years of strained ties between the two countries.
The United States Department of State announced Thursday that talks with Venezuela are focused on helping the country move toward a democratic political transition and long-term stability.
The agreement follows several visits by officials from the administration of President Donald Trump to the South American nation after a U.S. military operation earlier this year removed longtime Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro from power.
Diplomatic ties between Washington and Caracas had been severed in 2019 during Trump’s first term, when the U.S. closed its embassy in the Venezuelan capital and relocated diplomatic staff to neighboring Colombia.
“The United States and Venezuela’s interim authorities have agreed to re-establish diplomatic and consular relations. This step will facilitate our joint efforts to promote stability, support economic recovery, and advance political reconciliation in Venezuela,” the State Department’s statement read.
“Our engagement is focused on helping the Venezuelan people move forward through a phased process that creates the conditions for a peaceful transition to a democratically elected government,” it added. “The United States remains committed to supporting the Venezuelan people and working with partners across the region to advance stability and prosperity.”
According to the State Department, the current negotiations aim to create conditions for a peaceful transition to a democratically elected government in Venezuela.
Venezuela is now led by acting president Delcy Rodríguez, who previously served as Maduro’s vice president. Rodríguez said steps to rebuild relations would strengthen cooperation between the two countries.
The announcement came at the end of a two-day visit by Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, who traveled to Venezuela to discuss security guarantees for mining companies interested in investing in the country’s mineral sector.
Since Maduro’s removal, the Trump administration has pressed Venezuelan leaders to open the country’s oil and mineral industries to foreign investment and move toward political reforms.
Rodríguez’s government recently approved an amnesty law expected to lead to the release of political prisoners, acknowledging that hundreds of people had been jailed for political reasons.
