The United States has formally resumed operations at its embassy in Caracas, Venezuela, after being closed for seven years, the State Department announced Monday, following the Trump administration’s ouster of then-President Nicolas Maduro.
"Today, we are formally resuming operations at the U.S. embassy in Caracas, marking a new chapter in our diplomatic presence in Venezuela," the State Department said in a statement.
The normal functioning of the embassy "will strengthen our ability to engage directly with Venezuela's interim government, civil society and the private sector," it said.
The United States shuttered its embassy in Caracas in March 2019 shortly after Washington along with a number of Western and Latin American allies declared Maduro to be illegitimate following an election marred by widespread irregularities.
President Donald Trump in January ordered a deadly raid in which U.S. forces snatched Maduro and took him to New York to face charges of drug trafficking, which he denies.
The United States since then has been working with interim president Delcy Rodriguez, who was Maduro's vice president.
Despite her background, Trump has hailed the relationship with Rodriguez on his key priorities including assisting U.S. oil companies, enforcing cooperation by threatening her with violence if she does not comply.
Since 2019, the United States had run diplomatic operations for Venezuela out of neighboring Colombia.
Laura Dogu, a veteran U.S. diplomat, arrived in Caracas in January to head the embassy, where the U.S. flag was raised again on March 14.
