New head of US mission in Venezuela arrives as ties warmCARACAS, Feb 1, 2026 (BSS/AFP) - The new head of the US diplomatic mission to Venezuela arrived in the country on Saturday as relations gradually resume after the ouster of Nicolas Maduro in a US military raid. A charge d'affaires is the head of a diplomatic mission in the absence of a full ambassador. The United States has already sent a mission to assess the embassy, which has been largely unoccupied for the past six years. US forces attacked Venezuela on January 3, capturing Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores and taking them to New York for trial on US-issued drug trafficking charges. Trump has said he was working "really well" with Rodriguez, and a US official has said Rodriguez would visit the United States soon.
