Venezuela’s acting president, Delcy Rodriguez, has called for renewed diplomatic engagement with the United States following an agreement between the two governments to restore diplomatic and consular relations. In a post on X addressed to U.S. President Donald Trump, Rodriguez said "diplomatic dialogue" is the appropriate mechanism to resolve differences between the two countries.
In her message, Rodriguez emphasized a commitment to constructing "long-term relations based on mutual respect, equality, and international law," and said the intention is to develop a work agenda that would "strengthen cooperation for the benefit of both countries." The statements were presented publicly on social media and were directed specifically to the U.S. president.
The U.S. State Department announced on Thursday that Washington and Caracas would formally re-establish diplomatic ties. The restoration follows a period during which Venezuela severed relations with the United States. That break occurred in 2019 after the first Trump administration declined to recognize Nicolas Maduro as Venezuela’s legitimate president following a disputed election and instead recognized an opposition lawmaker as the country’s president.
Earlier this year, U.S. forces captured Maduro in January after months of heightened tensions between the two nations. That event precipitated a series of changes inside Venezuela, including the swearing-in of Delcy Rodriguez as interim president. Since those developments, Rodriguez’s interim government has expressed interest in rebuilding ties with Washington, and the two sides have gradually resumed bilateral relations.
Rodriguez’s call for diplomatic dialogue and the State Department’s announcement mark the latest steps in a process of rapprochement that has unfolded since the January capture and subsequent political shifts. While the formal re-establishment of diplomatic and consular relations has been declared, Rodriguez framed the next phase as one aimed at producing cooperative work between the two governments grounded in international law and mutual respect.
Context and next steps
The public statements by both Caracas and Washington indicate a mutual decision to restore formal channels of diplomacy and consular representation. Rodriguez’s post on X reiterated a willingness to pursue constructive engagement, but the announcement did not include detailed implementation steps or timelines for the re-opening of embassies or consulates.