U.S. Raises Flag Over Embassy In Venezuela After Seven Years

The United States on Saturday raised its flag over its embassy in Caracas, Venezuela, for the first time in seven years following the restoration of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

The embassy had been closed since March 14, 2019, after Caracas severed diplomatic ties with Washington over the U.S. refusal to recognise the 2018 re-election of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro.

The United States’ Charge d’Affaires in Caracas, Laura Dogu, said she and her team raised the flag exactly seven years after it was removed.

“A new era has begun. We’re staying with Venezuela,” Dogu said in a post on X, accompanied by a photograph showing the American flag being hoisted outside the embassy.

Diplomatic relations began to thaw rapidly after a U.S. special forces operation on January 3, 2026, during which Maduro and his wife were captured in Caracas and extradited to New York City to face drug-trafficking charges.

This led to Maduro’s removal from power, the installation of Delcy Rodríguez as interim president, and subsequent negotiations that culminated in the formal resumption of diplomatic and consular ties in early March 2026.

The administration of Donald Trump has since eased some sanctions on Venezuela and issued licences allowing several multinational companies to operate in the country’s oil sector under certain conditions.

Venezuela’s interim leader, Delcy Rodríguez, has also urged the United States to fully lift sanctions imposed on the South American nation.