US Raises Flag at Embassy in Venezuela After 7 Years

The United States raised its national flag at its embassy in Caracas for the first time in seven years, marking a significant step in the restoration of diplomatic relations with Venezuela.

Embassy staff hoisted the American flag on March 14, exactly seven years after it was lowered in 2019 when Caracas severed diplomatic ties following Washington’s refusal to recognize Nicolás Maduro’s disputed 2018 re-election.

Relations between the US and Venezuela have begun to improve after a US military operation in January captured Maduro and transferred him to New York to face drug-trafficking charges, triggering a political transition in the country.

Diplomatic ties were formally restored earlier this month as the political transition unfolded in Caracas. The administration of US President Donald Trump says it is supporting the transition while expanding economic engagement with Venezuela’s interim leadership.

Washington has also signed new energy and mining agreements aimed at opening Venezuela’s resource sector to private investment and increasing US access to the country’s vast oil reserves.

Venezuela’s interim president Delcy Rodríguez has urged the US to fully lift remaining sanctions, some of which have already been eased as multinational companies received limited licenses to resume operations.