The United States raised its flag over the embassy in Caracas on Saturday for the first time in seven years.U.S. Charge d’Affaires Laura Dogu led her team in the ceremony outside the embassy compound. “A new era for U.S.-Venezuela relations has begun. Onward with Venezuela,” Dogu wrote. Dogu noted the flag rose exactly seven years after it was lowered on March 14, 2019. Venezuela had broken off ties two months earlier after the United States refused to recognize Nicolás Maduro’s 2018 re-election.
The flag raising follows the restoration of full diplomatic and consular relations earlier this month. Ties warmed quickly after a U.S. military operation removed Maduro from power. On Jan. 3, U.S. special forces captured Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores during a raid in Caracas. They were flown to New York to face federal charges of drug trafficking and narco-terrorism. Venezuelan officials reported around 100 people killed in the operation.
Delcy RodrÃguez, Maduro’s former vice president, took over as interim president. The Trump administration has worked closely with her government. The two sides have reached agreements on energy and mining. These pacts open the door for private investment and U.S. access to Venezuela’s vast natural resources, including the world’s largest proven oil reserves.
Since January the United States has eased restrictions on Venezuelan oil. The Treasury Department issued licenses that let a handful of multinational companies operate in the country under set conditions. On Friday RodrÃguez urged President Donald Trump to lift all remaining sanctions. She made the appeal during meetings with Colombian officials in Caracas, saying the measures hurt economies across Latin America.
The U.S. embassy had run limited operations from outside Venezuela since 2019. Dogu arrived in Caracas in late January to prepare for the full reopening. Venezuela has passed reforms to its hydrocarbons and mining laws. These changes aim to attract foreign companies and revive production that fell sharply under sanctions and underinvestment.
U.S. officials, including Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, visited Caracas recently to discuss opportunities in oil and minerals. The embassy reopening supports those talks. The flag now flies again over the embassy compound. Diplomats say the move marks steady progress toward normal relations and economic cooperation.
