Venezuela and the United States announced Thursday that they are restoring diplomatic and consular ties. The move signals a further thaw with the government of Acting President Delcy Rodriguez, who took power in the country after Washington’s ouster of the former President Nicolás Maduro.
The announcement came as Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum ended a two-day visit to Venezuela, where he said Caracas had pledged security guarantees for foreign mining investors and predicted oil and gas output would exceed 2026 targets. The State Department said renewed relations would “facilitate our joint efforts to promote stability, support economic recovery, and advance political reconciliation in Venezuela,” while Venezuela’s foreign ministry described the move as “positive and mutually beneficial.”
The restoration of diplomatic ties will facilitate communication and commercial ties between the two countries, a helpful step for the Trump administration as it seeks to consolidate its influence in Venezuela and restore the country’s oil industry under American supervision.
