A White House official arrived in Caracas this Friday in the first visit by a US diplomat since . Relations between the United States and Venezuela have quickly thawed without Hugo Chávez’s successor at the helm. The administration of Donald Trump and Chavismo discuss the opening of both embassies and the details of the oil business.
It was the chargé d’affaires of the United States Foreign Office for Venezuela, also ambassador John McNamara, who landed on Venezuelan soil. Maduro said at the time that he was his only contact in Trump’s entourage. The Chavista Government has reported that it will return the visit at some point. The meeting takes place at a time of realignment in power. overthrown by a US military operation, and leads a delicate transition within Chavismo. At the same time, Trump has said that he and his advisors are “in charge” of Venezuela. It is not yet clear what this forced cohabitation will be like.
The visit serves to make an initial evaluation of a possible gradual resumption of operations at the US headquarters in Caracas, which this month celebrates seven years of closure. The Secretary of State informed journalists about the trip and so did the Venezuelan Foreign Ministry. There was speculation that Rodríguez would also visit Washington, but Freddy Ñáñez, his Minister of Communications, denied it. “We are focused as a Government on the internal agenda to guarantee our people their right to peace and stability,” he said.
The president in charge, but that does not mean that the tone of her Government regarding the capture of Maduro is complacent. The Foreign Ministry says in its statement that an “exploratory process” has been initiated for the reestablishment of the diplomatic missions of both countries after “the consequences derived from the aggression and the kidnapping of the President of the Republic and the First Lady.” Also a joint work table, without further details.
McNamara, also ambassador to Colombia, plays an important role within the Trump administration. He was the link with Chavismo in the deportations of migrants, in an agreement that was reached a year ago, and to free a group of Venezuelans who had not committed any crime in the CECOT, a maximum security prison in El Salvador built by its president, Nayib Bukele.
His visit to Caracas occurs in the same week in which the White House announced its decision to reopen the embassy closed since 2019. That year, relations between the two countries were completely broken due to Washington’s recognition and direct support for the presidency in charge of Juan Guaidó. Then, Joe Biden promoted a government parallel to Maduro’s with which he hoped to exert pressure that would end up overthrowing him. The United States considered that Chavismo had committed fraud in the 2018 elections. The diplomatic adventure, for which there were not many precedents, was a failure and Maduro managed to remain in the Miraflores Palace for another seven years.
The United States embassy in Caracas has historically been the largest in the country. It can be seen from many points in the city. It is located in a large building inside the residential area of Valle Arriba, at the top of a hill. Despite being closed, in recent months it has been guarded by intelligence agents amid never confirmed rumors that it was hiding inside.
Machado escaped in the days when Norway awarded him the award and is waiting to play a fundamental role in the new Venezuelan context. In the event that a presidential election were called in the short term, she would have many chances of being elected, taking into account the ease with which her party won the previous ones.
The breakdown of relations has complicated life for Venezuelans in the United States, more than 600,000. Getting passports and papers renewed for their regulatory processes was really difficult. To apply for a tourist visa to the United States — before Trump’s near-total restrictions on Venezuelans went into effect — they had to travel to cities around the world in search of less overwhelmed American consulates.
Several incidents have occurred at the embassy. In 2019, while more than 50 countries were recognizing President Guaidó, a group of activists from Code Pink, a pacifist organization in favor of Chavismo, occupied it. The authorities pressured him by cutting off their water and electricity and finally managed to evict them.
