US flag raised at embassy in Venezuela for first time in 7 years
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The American flag flew again over the U.S. Embassy in Venezuela on Saturday for the first time in seven years in the South American country.
The embassy building in Caracas is still undergoing renovations and officials have not said when it will fully reopen, The Associated Press reports reported.
The return of the flag comes months after former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro was captured by US forces in January.
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An American flag flies again at the U.S. Embassy in Caracas, Venezuela, on Saturday, seven years after Washington and Caracas severed diplomatic relations in 2019. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos)
The US Embassy highlighted this moment in a social media post and said that this was the beginning of a new chapter in relations between Washington and Caracas.
“A new era has begun in US-Venezuela relations,” the US Embassy wrote in X.
Some residents expressed hope that the flag signaled improved ties with the international community.
Caracas resident Alessandro Di Benedetto said the atmosphere among the audience was optimistic, according to the Associated Press.
The entrance sign of the US Embassy is seen in Caracas, Venezuela. (Associated Press)
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“I found a lot of people here surprised and happy because they raised the U.S. flag at the embassy today,” he said. “This is positive; this is another step.”
The embassy has been closed since March 12, 2019, when the United States and Venezuela severed diplomatic relations, according to the U.S. State Department website.
Maduro was captured during a US military operation in Caracas on January 3 and flown to New York, where he is being held in a federal prison.
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Nicolás Maduro, handcuffed after landing on a helipad in Manhattan, boards an armored vehicle escorted by heavily armed federal agents as he heads to the federal courthouse in Manhattan on January 5, 2026, in New York City. (XNY/Star Max/GC images via Getty Images)
He faces multiple charges, including narco-terrorism conspiracy, cocaine importation conspiracy, possession of machine guns and destructive devices, and conspiracy to possess these weapons.
Maduro’s wife, Cilia Flores, also faces federal charges related to drug trafficking and weapons crimes.
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Both pleaded not guilty when they appeared in federal court in New York on January 5.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
