U.S., Venezuela to re-establish diplomatic relations
· UPIMarch 5 (UPI) -- The United States and Venezuela will re-establish diplomatic and consular relations just over two months after former Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro was deposed from power.
The U.S. Department of State made the announcement on Thursday evening after high-ranking U.S. officials met with their counterparts in Venezuela to negotiate greater access to oil, critical minerals and gold.
"This step will facilitate our joint efforts to promote stability, support economic recovery and advance political reconciliation in Venezuela," the State Department said in a statement.
"Our engagement is focused on helping the Venezuelan people move forward through a phased process that creates the conditions for a peaceful transition to a democratically elected government," officials said in the statement.
U.S. Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum met with interim Venezuelan President Delcy Rodriguez, who was installed as the country's leader after the U.S. military captured Maduro and brought him to the United States to face charges that include narco-trafficking.
Burgum and Rodriguez were discussing oil and critical mineral opportunities, in addition to finalizing an American-brokered deal with a Singapore-based company to mine and buy $100 million in gold, The New York Times reported.
Rodriguez said after Burgum's two-day visit that her government has "full willingness to build a joint work agenda based on respect and mutual benefits," specifically with regard to energy and other business cooperation, Axios reported.
This week in Washington
President Donald Trump speaks during a roundtable on the Ratepayer Protection Pledge inside the Indian Treaty Room of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building near the White House on Wednesday. Technology firms that sign the pledge will commit to ensuring artificial intelligence infrastructure does not raise utility bills for households and small businesses. Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo