(TNND) — The United States and Venezuelan governments announced on Friday that they were exploring restoring diplomatic relations and that a delegation from the Trump administration arrived in the South American nation.
“Venezuela has decided to initiate an exploratory diplomatic process with the Government of the United States of America, aimed at re-establishing diplomatic missions in both countries, with the purpose of addressing the consequences of the aggression and kidnapping of the President of the Republic and the First Lady, as well as addressing a working agenda of mutual interest,” a statement from the Venezuelan foreign ministry read.
The State Department said a small team of U.S. diplomats and diplomatic security officials traveled to Venezuela to make a preliminary assessment about the potential re-opening of the U.S. Embassy in Caracas.
An official told CNN that acting U.S. ambassador to Colombia John McNamara traveled to Venezuela “to conduct an initial assessment for a potential phased resumption of operations.”
Delegation of Venezuelan diplomats will also travel to the U.S. “to carry out the corresponding duties,” according to the foreign ministry.
U.S. operations and diplomats withdrew from Caracas in March 2019 after Nicolas Maduro’s government demanded staff be removed for recognizing opposition leader Juan Guaidó as interim president. Since then, the Venezuela Affairs unit has been operating from the embassy in Bogota.
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Military forces captured Maduro and his wife on Saturday in a surprise nighttime raid and brought them back to the U.S. to face charges of drug trafficking.
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