DIPLOMACY Caracas broke with the United States in 2019, when the Trump administration recognized opponent Juan Guaido as interim president
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, in Caracas on November 30, 2022. — Ariana Cubillos/AP
Relations are heating up between Caracas and Washington. Venezuela is even “totally ready” to normalize its relations with the United States, broken in 2019, affirmed; President Nicolas Maduro on Sunday.
“Venezuela is ready, totally ready, to move towards a process of normalization of diplomatic, consular, political relations with this government of the United States and with those who may come next,” said the Head of State during an interview with French journalist Ignacio Ramonet and the Telesur channel, broadcast by Venezuelan public television.
< h2>The oil crisis facilitates the warming of relations
The government of Nicolas Maduro had broken with the United States in 2019, the year in which Donald Trump’s administration recognized opponent Juan Guaido as Venezuela’s interim president. In an attempt to oust Nicolas Maduro from power, Washington had adopted; a battery of sanctions against Caracas, including an embargo on Venezuelan oil.
Even if Joe Biden formally continues to not recognizing Nicolas Maduro as President of Venezuela, deeming his election in 2018 fraudulent, the oil crisis caused by the war in Ukraine has led to a warming of relations. The White House thus sent in 2022 emissaries to Caracas to negotiate, and eased sanctions against Venezuela after a breakthrough in negotiations between power and opposition, notably allowing the oil giant Chevron to operate in the Latin country -American for the next six months.
“Things are going well” with the European Union
“We are ready for dialogues at the highest level, for relations of respect, and I hope that a ray of light will come. re will reach these United States of North America so that they turn the page, leave aside this extremist policy, and manage to more pragmatic policies towards Venezuela,” Nicola Maduro. The Venezuelan president also said that “things are progressing well” with the European Union and that an “permanent dialogue” takes place with the head of diplomacy of the Twenty-seven, Josep Borrell.