A senior US diplomatic delegation led by acting ambassador and chargé d’affaires to Colombia John McNamara arrived in Venezuela today as Washington considers a gradual reopening of its embassy in Venezuela, marking the most significant step toward restoring formal diplomatic ties since the mission was closed in 2019.
The visit follows a dramatic shift in US-Venezuela relations after US forces captured Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, during a military operation in Caracas on January 3. Both were removed from the country and are now in US custody, facing narcotrafficking and narcoterrorism charges.
US acting ambassador to Colombia visits Venezuela as White House mulls ambassy reopening
The United States closed its embassy in Caracas and withdrew its diplomatic staff in March 2019 after it declared Maduro’s re-election illegitimate. At the time, Maduro responded by severing relations with Washington and ordering US personnel to leave the country.
According to diplomats familiar with the matter, the United States has not yet made a formal decision to reopen the embassy, citing unresolved logistical and security issues. However, they said preparations are underway and the reopening could move forward once President Donald Trump gives formal approval.
The US Department of State confirmed it is evaluating a phased reopening of the embassy, which has remained shuttered for nearly seven years.
“The Department of State is assessing the conditions for a gradual reopening of the US Embassy in Caracas,” a State Department spokesperson said, adding that technical and logistical evaluations are currently underway.
¡Bienvenido a Venezuela, Embajador John McNamara! 🇻🇪🤝🇺🇸🌎
— Angel Fuentes Lopez (@angelfuentesl) January 9, 2026
¡Presentamos a John McNamara: Diplomático de élite con décadas en la primera línea de la estabilidad global!
Nacido en Nueva York y miembro senior del Servicio Exterior de EE.UU., John McNamara es un veterano de la… pic.twitter.com/ALaW28NJ7N
The Venezuelan government, now led by Maduro’s former Vice-President Delcy Rodriguez, confirmed the arrival of a delegation of “diplomatic officials from the US Department of State who will carry out technical and logistical assessments inherent to diplomatic functions,” according to an official statement.
The government also announced that Venezuela will send its own diplomatic delegation to Washington as part of what it described as an “exploratory diplomatic process” aimed at “the restoration of missions in both countries.”
The statement added that the talks seek to “address the consequences arising from the aggression and kidnapping of the President of the Republic and the First Lady”.
Following the embassy’s closure in 2019, US diplomatic operations related to Venezuela were handled from neighboring Colombia, although Washington has not had a fully accredited ambassador in Bogota. That same year, the first Trump administration recognized opposition leader Juan Guaido as Venezuela’s interim president, leading to the transfer of control of Venezuela’s embassy in Washington to Guaido’s opposition movement and his US envoy, Carlos Vecchio. The Venezuelan embassy in Washington ultimately closed in 2022 after the opposition coalition withdrew its support for Guaido’s interim government.
Unexpected US-Venezuela rapprochement after Maduro’s capture
Despite widespread expectations of military escalation following Maduro’s arrest, the week that followed have instead been marked by cautious diplomatic engagement between Caracas and Washington.
One of the most notable developments came this week when the president of Venezuela’s National Assembly, Jorge Rodriguez, announced the release of a “significant number” of political prisoners, including Venezuelans and foreign nationals.
Diplomatic contacts have also coincided with progress on energy negotiations between the two countries. Venezuela’s state-owned oil company, PDVSA, confirmed it is in talks with Washington for the sale of crude oil under “schemes similar to those in place with international companies such as Chevron.”
US President Donald Trump said the agreement involves between 30 and 50 million barrels of Venezuelan oil, marking a significant shift after years of sanctions that sharply curtailed energy trade.
Under the proposed framework, US authorities would oversee the sale and management of revenues, depositing funds in US-based accounts and conditioning their use on investments in Venezuela’s energy sector and the purchase of US-manufactured goods, notably food and medicines.
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