The Head of the American Mission Arrives in Venezuela After Weeks of Maduro's Arrest

SadaNews - The new head of the American mission in Venezuela, Laura Dogu, arrived in Caracas where she was welcomed by Foreign Minister Ivan Gil in the context of the gradual resumption of bilateral relations after less than a month from the arrest of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro by American special forces.

Dogu stated on her account on the X platform, "I just arrived in Venezuela. My team and I are fully prepared to work," accompanied by pictures of her on the runway of Maiquetía Airport, coming from Bogotá. It is still unknown how long her stay will be or her agenda.

Washington appointed Dogu, a former ambassador to Nicaragua, as chargé d'affaires on January 22, thus taking the highest position in the diplomatic mission in the absence of an ambassador.

Roadmap

Venezuelan Foreign Minister Ivan Gil held talks with the new head of the American diplomatic mission shortly after her arrival in Caracas.

The Venezuelan Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that the meeting is part of the "agenda between the Venezuelan government and the United States aimed at outlining a roadmap on issues of bilateral interest, as well as addressing and resolving existing conflicts through diplomatic dialogue, based on mutual respect and international law."

Relations between the two countries were severed in 2019 during Donald Trump's first term as President of the United States.

After the arrest of the Venezuelan president in a swift American operation on January 3, Trump confirmed that the relationship is "good" with Delcy Rodríguez, Maduro's deputy who has become the interim president.

Rodríguez has taken a series of steps to approach Washington, such as announcing a general amnesty and closing the notorious Helicoide prison, pushing for amendments to the hydrocarbons law that opens the oil industry to the private sector, and judicial reforms.

In return, the U.S. Treasury Department announced on Friday a relaxation of the ban on Venezuelan oil that has been in place since 2019.

While Rodríguez continues to demand Washington to release Maduro, she is advancing in consolidating her rule through a series of dismissals and new appointments in the military and government.

Source: AFP