WASHINGTON – The Trump administration has informed Congress of its preliminary actions towards potentially reopening the U.S. Embassy in Venezuela. This move comes as part of efforts to reestablish diplomatic relations with the South American nation, following a U.S.-led military operation that resulted in the ousting of former President Nicolás Maduro.
The State Department, in a communication dated Monday and accessed by The Associated Press on Tuesday, announced the deployment of a regular contingent of temporary diplomatic staff. These personnel are tasked with performing “select” diplomatic functions as part of the reopening process.
According to the notice, these staff members will be housed and will work in a provisional facility while renovations are made to the existing embassy compound to meet operational standards. The embassy has remained closed since March 2019, following a break in diplomatic relations during President Donald Trump’s initial term.
“We are writing to notify the committee of the Department of State’s intent to implement a phased approach to potentially resume Embassy Caracas operations,” the department stated in identical letters sent to ten House and Senate committees.
Following the military action that removed Maduro on January 1, a small delegation from the Venezuela Affairs Unit, based at the U.S. Embassy in Bogotá, Colombia, conducted an initial assessment in Caracas to evaluate the feasibility of reopening the embassy.
In a recent development, the State Department appointed a seasoned U.S. diplomat, stationed in Bogotá, as the charge d’affaires for Venezuela. The department outlined that the initial phase of reopening would involve an increased deployment of temporary staff to Caracas.
“To support increased temporary duty personnel and the potential resumption of embassy operations, the Department of State may also need to open an interim or temporary facility in Caracas, Venezuela, to accommodate temporary duty personnel or operations while the existing facilities are brought to serviceable condition,” it said.
These diplomats would perform limited “select duties,” including security and management in the first phase, but gradually expand their work “to include consular, political, economic, management, security, and public diplomacy.” In addition, the Venezuela Affairs Unit now located in Bogota would move to Caracas.
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