U.S. to reopen Venezuela embassy after Maduro's January 2026 ouster, starting with limited duties.

The U.S. State Department has notified Congress of initial steps to potentially reopen the embassy in Caracas, Venezuela, following the ouster of President Nicolás Maduro in January 2026. Temporary staff are being deployed to a provisional facility to conduct limited diplomatic functions while the main embassy compound is restored. A career diplomat based in Bogotá has been named charge d’affaires, and the Venezuela Affairs Unit is preparing to relocate. The move marks the first official sign of a phased effort to restore diplomatic relations, severed since 2019, with future steps including expanded consular and political work. The process is conditional and ongoing, pending further assessments and policy reviews.