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The United States has formally reopened its embassy in Caracas, Venezuela, after the restoration of full diplomatic relations with the South American country<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n WASHINGTON — <\/span>The United States has formally reopened its embassy in Caracas, Venezuela, after the restoration of full diplomatic relations with the South American country following the Trump administration\u2019s ouster of then-President Nicolas Maduro<\/a> in early January. <\/p>\n The State Department announced Monday that it had resumed normal operations at the embassy in Caracas \u2014 which had been in need of significant repair, including remediation from mold \u2014 after a seven-year closure that began during President Donald Trump\u2019s first term. <\/p>\n A small team of U.S. diplomats, based in neighboring Colombia, has been working in Caracas for more than a month and hosted a flag-raising ceremony on March 14, but the embassy itself had not yet been reopened until Monday. <\/p>\n \u201cThe resumption of operations at U.S. Embassy Caracas is a key milestone in implementing the president\u2019s three phase plan for Venezuela and will strengthen our ability to engage directly with Venezuela\u2019s interim government, civil society, and the private sector,\u201d the State Department said in a statement.<\/p>\n It said the move marked \u201ca new chapter in our diplomatic presence in Venezuela.\u201d<\/p>\n Work to restore the consular section of the embassy, where Americans and Venezuelans must go for passport and visa services, is not yet complete, and those seeking assistance still need to contact the U.S. Embassy in Bogota, the department said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n