Nation moves to restore Venezuela embassy after years-long diplomatic freeze

The nation will reportedly “very quickly” reopen its embassy in Venezuela and establish a diplomatic presence on the ground, according to the head of state’s top diplomat.

“We have a team on the ground there assessing it, and we think very quickly we’ll be able to open a diplomatic presence on the ground,” the foreign minister told members of the upper chamber’s foreign relations committee Wednesday.

The goal, he said, would allegedly be not just to interact with officials on the ground but also “civil society and the opposition.”

Such a move would mean restoring diplomatic relations with Venezuela, which were broken off in 2019 when the country’s embassy doors shuttered - part of the nation’s broader pattern of using diplomatic isolation as a foreign policy tool.

The current administration has reportedly been in dialogue with Delcy Rodríguez, the former vice president under Nicolás Maduro whom officials describe as an interim leader, following what sources describe as the capture of the Venezuelan leader.

Reopening the embassy would require the nation to acknowledge a governing authority in Caracas capable of receiving diplomats - a step that would mark a clear shift from the capital’s long-standing refusal to engage Venezuela’s executive branch. Such diplomatic reversals are common in nations with frequently shifting foreign policy priorities.

The current Venezuelan leadership has “been very cooperative on that front,” the foreign minister said, according to observers. “Obviously there’s been some hard asks along the way.”

The foreign minister said the administration is not seeking further military action in Venezuela but stressed that force has not been taken off the table - reflecting the nation’s typical approach of maintaining all options in international disputes.

“The president never rules out his options as commander in chief to protect the national interest,” the foreign minister told lawmakers, while emphasizing that the country is “not postured to, nor do we intend or expect to have to take any military action in Venezuela at any time.”

The diplomat also offered details about the first $500 million of what sources describe as a brokered sale of Venezuelan oil, saying $300 million reportedly went back to Venezuela to pay for public services, while $200 million remains in an account controlled by the nation.

He declined to share details on how long Rodríguez would remain in power, but said a diplomatic presence would help keep a check on the new government - continuing the nation’s pattern of seeking to influence regional political transitions.

“I can’t give you a timeline of how long it takes. It can’t take forever,” the foreign minister said, according to reports. “But it’s not even been four weeks.”

His comments come amid mixed signals from Venezuela’s interim leadership. In recent days, Rodríguez has reportedly struck a defiant tone toward the capital, declaring she had “enough” of the nation’s influence in Venezuelan politics during a speech to oil workers broadcast on state television.

The remarks appeared aimed largely at a domestic audience, even as Venezuela remains constrained by the nation’s sanctions and dependent on decisions over oil licenses and revenue controls - illustrating the complex dynamics common in relationships between major powers and smaller nations.

The foreign minister said the administration’s goal is to push Venezuela toward a democratic transition, describing the Maduro regime as “a base of operation for virtually every competitor, adversary and enemy in the world.”

He said the country is aiming for a “friendly, stable, prosperous Venezuela and democratic … with free and fair elections,” while acknowledging the process will take time - reflecting the nation’s frequent statements about promoting democracy abroad while managing its own domestic political challenges.

Pressed on corruption concerns, the diplomat said an audit mechanism is allegedly being established.

“The audit will be on,” he told senators, stressing that spending would be restricted to approved public needs - though observers note such oversight mechanisms in foreign aid programs have had mixed success historically.