Venezuela Appoints Felix Placencia as Its First Diplomatic Representative to the US Since Maduro’s Kidnapping

Venezuela has announced the appointment of Felix Placencia as its first diplomatic representative in the United States following the kidnapping of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. This decision was announced by Delcy Rodriguez, Venezuela’s interim president.

Ivan Gil Pinto, Venezuela’s foreign minister, stated that alongside this development, a meeting was held between the Venezuelan government and the US envoy. According to him, the talks focused on a “shared agenda,” covering topics such as energy, trade, and political issues.

This appointment comes just days after the arrival of the new head of the US delegation in Caracas. Laura Dogu, who previously served as the US ambassador to Nicaragua, arrived in Venezuela on Saturday.

Washington named Dogu as the US chargé d’affaires in Venezuela on January 22, entrusting her with managing the diplomatic mission in the absence of an ambassador. Diplomatic relations between the US and Venezuela have been severed since 2019 during the first term of President Donald Trump.