U.S. Embassy in Caracas now fully operational after seven years without a permanent presence in Venezuela

Caracas, Venezuela — The United States Embassy in Caracas is now operating at 100% from the Venezuelan capital, with its entire staff working at the diplomatic mission, chargé d'affaires John M. Barrett announced on Saturday, ending seven years without a permanent diplomatic presence in the country.

Washington withdrew its personnel and closed the embassy in March 2019, after breaking relations with the Nicolás Maduro regime and recognizing Juan Guaidó as interim president. During those years, Venezuelan affairs were handled from a special unit in Bogotá, Colombia, leaving U.S. citizens and Venezuelans without a nearby mission for paperwork and assistance.

Relations resumed on March 30 of this year, after Maduro's capture in January during a U.S. military operation in Caracas, and Barrett, a career diplomat who previously served as chargé d'affaires in Guatemala, arrived in the capital as Washington's top representative to the interim government led by Delcy Rodríguez.

According to Barrett, the ultimate goal of the diplomatic presence is "the holding of free and fair elections." The three-phase plan promoted by President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio calls first for stabilizing the power grid, then strengthening health services, and finally attracting investment to boost the economy and jobs.

What has been announced, however, does not yet include an electoral timetable or the mechanisms that would guarantee that an eventual vote meets shared standards, a point observers flag as the major unknown in Venezuela's transition process.

Photo: NTN24

Source: NTN24