Trump administration takes preliminary steps to reopen US embassy in Venezuela

The Trump administration is taking the first steps to allow the reopening of the US embassy in Venezuela with the aim of influencing the policy of the new interim president, Delcy Rodríguez.

People familiar with the matter told Bloomberg that the current efforts are of a preliminary nature, discussions regarding the reopening are in an early stage, and no decision has yet been made.

Donald Trump, responding to a question from reporters on Air Force One about the possibility of reopening the embassy following the kidnapping of President Nicolás Maduro, said, “We are thinking about it.”

The US suspended operations of its embassy in Venezuela in 2019, during Trump’s first term, when it recognized opposition lawmaker Juan Guaidó as president and claimed Maduro’s 2018 reelection was illegitimate.

Since 2019, responsibilities in Venezuela have been carried out by the US embassy in neighboring Colombia.

According to a US official, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who has criticized Maduro and his predecessor Hugo Chávez throughout his career, has assumed the management role for Venezuela.

Rubio said on Sunday that the US expects Delcy Rodríguez to take positive steps in her general relations with the US.

“We will make an assessment based on what they do and what they will do in the future, not on their temporary public statements,” Rubio said.

Todd Robinson, a retired career diplomat who managed the US embassy in Caracas, said reopening the embassy would allow the US to take steps such as meeting with politicians and talking to the country’s influential military officials.

Robinson, who was expelled by Maduro after the US and many other countries refused to recognize the 2018 election results, said, “We can do this by phone, but nothing replaces rebuilding the relationships you establish on the ground, not only in Caracas but in the rest of the country. Reopening the embassy would be a huge advantage.”