US and Venezuela agree to re-establish diplomatic relations

CARACAS (AP) — The United States and Venezuela agreed to re-establish diplomatic relations in a major shift in a historically adversarial relationship, the State Department said on Thursday.

The move comes after rounds of Trump administration officials have visited the South American nation after a U.S. military operation deposed of former President Nicolás Maduro in January. Since then, the Trump administration has been stepping up pressure on Maduro loyalists who now run the oil rich nation.

Relations between the two countries were cut off following another geopolitical debacle in 2019, during the first Trump administration.

The State Department said in a statement that talks between the countries were “focused on helping the Venezuelan people move forward through a phased process that creates the conditions for a peaceful transition to a democratically elected government.”