The United States has officially reopened its embassy in Caracas, Venezuela, marking the return of its diplomatic presence there for the first time since 2019. This move is part of the broader strategy the Trump administration is implementing for the region.

“Today, we are officially restarting operations at the U.S. Embassy in Caracas, symbolizing a fresh chapter in our diplomatic relations with Venezuela,” the State Department announced on Monday.

The reopening of the U.S. Embassy in Caracas represents a significant achievement in the president’s three-phase strategy for Venezuela, enhancing our capacity to directly communicate with Venezuela’s interim government, civil society, and the business community.

This development follows the January arrival of U.S. Ambassador Laura F. Dogu, who took up her role as chargé d’affaires in Caracas.

Since February, Ambassador Laura Dogu has been actively working in Venezuela, spearheading efforts to reestablish diplomatic ties with interim leader Delcy Rodriguez.

According to the State Department, “Ambassador Dogu and her team are in the process of refurbishing the chancery building at the U.S. Embassy in Caracas, aiming to facilitate the complete return of staff and the eventual resumption of consular services.”

Officials have not given a timeline for when public services will fully restart.

The move comes as acting President Delcy Rodríguez consolidates power following the January capture of Nicolás Maduro in a U.S. raid. Rodríguez has been praised by Trump for measures opening Venezuela’s oil industry to U.S. investment, while also announcing a prisoner amnesty that human rights groups say remains too limited.

“We’ve done very well working with Venezuela,” Trump said during a Cabinet meeting at the White House on Thursday. “Venezuela is doing better right now than they’ve ever done in the history of their country, and sort of like a joint venture, but the United States has made a lot of money.”

Since March 2019, during the first Trump administration, U.S. relations had been handled through the Venezuela Affairs Unit based at the U.S. Embassy in Bogotá, Colombia.

“I met with a delegation of U.S. investors and companies who are in Caracas to learn firsthand about the great opportunities that Venezuela offers and to be part of the country’s economic transformation,” Dogu wrote in an X post translated from Spanish. “The private sector of the United States will play a fundamental role in building a stable and prosperous Venezuela, and we are here to support the growth of U.S. investment.”

President Donald Trump has pressed interim Venezuela leader Delcy Rodriguez to work closely with the U.S. after the removal of former leader Nicolas Maduro. (Jessica Koscielniak/Reuters; Leonardo Fernandez Viloria/Reuters)

Dogu led a U.S. delegation in Venezuela earlier in March, accompanied by Secretary of Interior Doug Burgum and “high-level” White House, State Department and Treasury officials, she wrote on X.

“By establishing a legitimate mining sector and securing critical supply chains, we can displace illegal actors, create jobs, and advance the three-phase plan of @POTUS that benefits both nations,” the post added.