Officials from Venezuela and the United States resumed formal contacts after years of rupture, with a meeting between Delcy Rodríguez and diplomat Laura Dogu.
Venezuelan Vice President Delcy Rodríguez held a meeting on Monday with Laura Dogu, the chargé d’affaires of the United States for Venezuela, marking the first official contact between both governments since diplomatic relations were severed in 2019.
The meeting took place at the Miraflores Palace and represents a significant step toward reopening institutional channels between Caracas and Washington.
The encounter came just days after Dogu’s arrival in Caracas, where she assumed responsibility for reopening the U.S. diplomatic mission, which had remained closed for seven years.
Dogu was appointed head of the Venezuela Affairs Unit at the State Department and is tasked with restoring formal diplomatic engagement between the two countries.
“Today I met with Delcy Rodríguez and Jorge Rodríguez to reiterate the three phases that Secretary of State Marco Rubio has outlined for Venezuela: stabilization, economic recovery and reconciliation, and transition,” Dogu wrote in a post on X published by the U.S. embassy account.
She emphasized that her mission is part of a broader U.S. strategy aimed at supporting a gradual political process in the country.
Venezuela’s Minister of Communication, Miguel Ángel Pérez Pirela, also confirmed the meeting, stating that Dogu was officially received by Rodríguez at the seat of the executive branch. According to the minister, the dialogue took place within the framework of the “working agenda between the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela and the United States of America.”
Dogu arrived in Caracas two days before the meeting. Upon announcing her arrival, the U.S. diplomat stated: “I have just arrived in Venezuela. My team and I are ready to work,” signaling the beginning of a new phase in bilateral relations.
Venezuela and the United States cut ties in 2019, and relations remained largely frozen until recent weeks, when both sides began formal contacts aimed at restoring institutional communication amid what Washington describes as a transitional political scenario.
On January 9, Delcy Rodríguez publicly announced the start of an “exploratory diplomatic process” with the U.S. government, foreshadowing the shift in relations.
According to U.S. officials, the renewed diplomatic presence seeks to facilitate dialogue with political, economic, and social actors across the country.
U.S. authorities indicated that Dogu will work with public and private sector representatives, as well as civil society organizations.
This approach forms part of a political plan outlined by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who described it as a three-stage process: stabilization, recovery and reconciliation, and a democratic transition.
Dogu’s arrival also followed confirmation that U.S. citizens previously detained in Venezuela were released after recent negotiations between the two sides.
Meanwhile, Venezuela’s internal political landscape remains tense, with opposition leader María Corina Machado expressing willingness to engage in talks to define a transition timeline.
The meeting underscores a cautious but significant shift in relations, reopening dialogue channels after years of diplomatic silence.
