The United States Returns to Caracas After a Six-Year Hiatus

The arrival of a US State Department aircraft in Caracas marked a new stage in relations between Washington and Venezuela. This was the first visit by American diplomats to the country following a recent US force operation and a years-long break in official contacts.

According to stated information, the mission has a practical purpose. The American side is assessing the possibility of restoring operations at the US embassy in the Venezuelan capital, which was suspended back in 2019 after diplomats were withdrawn and relations were severed.

The context of the visit remains tense. It comes shortly after a sharp escalation around Venezuela and amid accusations by Caracas that the United States has engaged in aggression and interference in the country’s internal affairs. In this sense, the return of diplomats appears not as a step toward reconciliation, but as an attempt to secure a presence in a new political reality.

The delegation includes staff from the US unit for Venezuelan affairs, which is based in Colombia, as well as the US Chargé d’Affaires to Colombia, John McNamara. This indicates that the visit is coordinated through regional structures and is not accompanied by the restoration of a full diplomatic mission.

For Washington, reopening the embassy could become a tool of direct influence and monitoring of the situation inside the country. For Caracas, the arrival of the American delegation is perceived as a continuation of pressure, albeit in diplomatic form, following a shift from sanctions and threats to direct actions.

It remains unclear whether this visit will lead to the reopening of the embassy or be limited to a technical assessment of security conditions. There has also been no information about possible high-level talks.

Thus, the visit by State Department representatives marks the return of the United States to a direct presence in Venezuela. This does not signify normalization of relations, but it shows that Washington seeks to operate inside the country rather than solely from external positions.