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Laura F. Dogu, the United States' new top envoy to Venezuela, arrived in Caracas on Saturday as the Trump administration steps up efforts to restore diplomatic ties and reopen the US embassy in the country after nearly seven years.
In an official post on X, Dogu said, "I just arrived in Venezuela. My team and I are ready to work." The post included photographs showing her disembarking from a plane and walking on the tarmac. https://x.com/usembassyve/status/2017687272443813910 According to CNN, responding to questions about the duration of her stay, a US State Department official said, "She will work with individuals from the private and public sector, as well as civic society, to advance the President and Secretary's three-phased plan for Venezuela." Venezuela's Foreign Minister Yvan Gil Pinto celebrated Dogu's arrival, saying in an X post that, "We have received in Caracas the United States diplomat Laura Dogu, envoy of the USA, as part of the work agenda between the government of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela and the United States of North America, aimed at charting a roadmap for work on matters of bilateral interest, as well as addressing and resolving existing differences through diplomatic dialogue and on the basis of mutual respect and International Law." https://x.com/yvangil/status/2017705406529999127 Dogu serves as the charge d'affaires for the US Venezuela Affairs Unit, which is currently based in Colombia. Her arrival marks a significant public step toward restoring US-Venezuela relations. The United States withdrew its diplomats and suspended embassy operations in Caracas in 2019. Earlier this month, a US State Department team travelled to Venezuela for the first time since the capture of former President Nicolas Maduro, according to a US official. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said during a Senate hearing earlier this week that Dogu would "ultimately" lead from Caracas and that the United States would establish a diplomatic presence in Venezuela "very quickly." The State Department has informed Congress that it plans to follow a phased approach to potentially resume embassy services, which could include opening a temporary facility. Dogu's visit comes amid broader moves by Washington to expand its footprint in Venezuela following Maduro's ouster. President Donald Trump has said his administration would "run" the country and assert control over its oil production. Trump also said on Thursday that the US would be "opening up" Venezuela's commercial airspace. Venezuela's acting government, led by former Maduro deputy Delcy Rodriguez, has taken steps seen as favourable to Washington, including approving a law change to make it easier for foreign companies to participate in the oil sector. Rodriguez has also proposed an amnesty law that could lead to the release of hundreds of political prisoners and announced the closure of a notorious detention centre. US authorities said Venezuela has released all known US citizens previously held in the country. Dogu is a veteran diplomat who previously served as the U.S. ambassador to Honduras and Nicaragua and currently serves as a foreign policy adviser to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. (ANI)
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