Above photo: The Venezuelan flag flies on the Venezuelan ambassador’s resident in Washington DC, March 28, 2026. X/@OliverBlanco.
Venezuela has recovered its diplomatic headquarters in the United States, as reported on Saturday March 28. The Venezuelan flag is now flying over the ambassador’s residence, which—along with other diplomatic facilities—”will be rehabilitated to serve all Venezuelans.”
Following the failed 2019 US-led regime-change operation with Juan Guaidó as the face, the embassy and eight consulates of Venezuela in the US were illegally removed from the control of Venezuelan authorities and transferred to US-authorized far-right operators.
At that time, for weeks, the Venezuelan Embassy Defenders collective, a group of US solidarity activists, fought to block the US arbitrariness, an effort that resulted in a small group of them being charged by the US judiciary.
Junto al Jefe de Misión @plasenciafelixr, recuperamos las sedes diplomáticas de Venezuela 🇻🇪 en EE.UU., que por instrucciones de la Pdta. (E) @delcyrodriguezv serán rehabilitadas para ponerlas al servicio de todos los venezolanos.
Un paso firme en el fortalecimiento de nuestras… pic.twitter.com/QEwWYDcoGM
— Oliver Blanco (@OliverBlanco) March 28, 2026
Diplomatic facilities in the US
Venezuela possesses three key diplomatic facilities in Washington, DC: the embassy, the ambassador’s residence, and the headquarters of the military attachés. Additionally, there were eight consulates in Miami, New York, Chicago, San Francisco, New Orleans, Boston, San Juan (Puerto Rico), and the consular section of the embassy in Washington, DC. It has not yet been announced when or how many of them will be reopened.
The newly appointed Venezuelan deputy foreign minister for North America and Europe, Oliver Blanco—who is associated with the opposition—announced on social media the return of the Venezuelan flag to the diplomatic facility by posting photos of the event.
A new group of Venezuelan diplomats arrived in Washington, as announced by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Friday. In a video, Blanco appeared alongside the newly appointed Venezuelan chargé d’affaires in Washington, Félix Plasencia, to discuss the resumption of diplomatic relations with the US.
Objectives of the diplomatic rapprochement
One of Venezuela’s primary goals for resuming diplomatic relations, as emphasized by Acting President Delcy Rodríguez, is to establish a consular presence in the US to facilitate assistance for President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, National Assembly Deputy Cilia Flores, who were kidnapped by the US regime on January 3, following an extensive bombing of Venezuela that killed more than 100 people.
“We are working to foster relationships based on respect and cooperation for the prosperity of our countries,” Blanco stated in the video. He also reported on a work agenda with US Under Secretary of State Christopher Landau, Senior Bureau Official for Western Hemisphere Affairs Michael Kozak, and Assistant Secretary of State for Economic, Energy, and Business Affairs Caleb Orr to finalize the diplomatic rapprochement.
Félix Plasencia emphasized that the acting president sent Blanco to lead the delegation in reestablishing a diplomatic presence in the United States. “Here we are, a group of officials, to address the issues that concern all Venezuelans,” he said.
Since the violent US imperialist attack on January 3, Venezuela—which remains under Chavista control—has been forced into what many analysts label a strategic retreat. The government is taking decisions that were previously unthinkable in an effort to avoid further US military attacks and total foreign control, while trying to gain time to reorganize politically and militarily.
The resumption of diplomatic and consular relations also represents a significant step for thousands of Venezuelans currently residing in the United States who are in urgent need of passport renewals, travel documents, and civil registry procedures. Like President Maduro, these citizens could also benefit from consular assistance, particularly given the current unprecedented persecution against Venezuelan migrants promoted by the US regime.
