The US embassy in Venezuela has formally resumed operations after being closed for seven years, the US State Department announced on Monday, following the seizure of Nicolás Maduro by US troops in January.
"Today, we are formally resuming operations at the US 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 an illegitimate leader following a presidential election marred by widespread irregularities.
In early January, US President Donald Trump ordered an unexpected raid in which elite Delta Force units and other troops snatched Maduro and took him to New York to face charges of drug trafficking, which he denies.
Washington has since been working with interim president Delcy Rodríguez, who was Maduro’s vice president.
Despite her background, Trump has hailed the relationship with Rodríguez as one of his key priorities, including assisting US 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 neighbouring Colombia.
Laura Dogu, a veteran US diplomat, arrived in Caracas in January to head the embassy, where the US flag was raised againon 14 March, exactly seven years after it was lowered.
