US considers phased reopening of embassy in Venezuela after Maduro's ouster

Amid efforts to recalibrate relations with Venezuela following the military operation that removed former president Nicolas Maduro, the Trump administration has notified Congress that it is taking the first steps that could lead to the reopening of the US Embassy in Caracas after years of diplomatic rupture.

According to the Associated Press, the US State Department said it plans to deploy a regular and gradually expanding group of staff to Venezuela to carry out limited functions. The notification, dated Monday, was sent to 10 House and Senate committees.

"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 said in identical letters, as per AP.

FIRST OFFICIAL SIGNAL TO CONGRESS

The communication marks the first formal indication that the administration is seriously considering reopening the embassy, which has been closed since March 2019 when diplomatic ties were severed.

The timing of the notification is notable. It was delivered just two days before Secretary of State Marco Rubio is scheduled to testify on Venezuela before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, placing the administration’s evolving policy under fresh congressional scrutiny.

According to the notice, the initial group of US personnel would live and work out of a temporary facility while the existing embassy compound is assessed and upgraded to meet operational and security standards.

PHASED RETURN TO CARACAS

US officials called the approach deliberately incremental. Shortly after the January 3 military operation that deposed Maduro, a small team from the Venezuela Affairs Unit, based at the US Embassy in Bogot, travelled to Caracas to conduct an initial assessment of conditions on the ground and evaluate the feasibility of reopening the mission.

Last week, the department named a Bogot-based career diplomat as charg d’affaires for Venezuela. The current phase would expand the presence of temporary duty staff in Caracas, initially focusing on core functions such as security and management.

"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," the notification added.

Over time, officials said the scope of work could widen "to include consular, political, economic, management, security, and public diplomacy". The Venezuela Affairs Unit, currently operating from Colombia, would eventually relocate to Caracas.

The Trump administration has moved cautiously towards normalising ties with Maduro’s successor, acting president Delcy Rodrguez. However, restoring full diplomatic relations would require Washington to reverse its recognition of Venezuela’s parliament as the country’s legitimate authority.

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With inputs from agencies