Venezuela announces the launch of "exploratory diplomacy," U.S. delegation arrives in Venezuela to assess the reopening of the embassy

Venezuela and the United States are initiating a process of normalizing relations, marking the first substantial diplomatic contact between the two countries since they severed ties more than five years ago. A series of reports this Friday indicate that a delegation from the U.S. State Department has arrived in Caracas, the capital of Venezuela, to assess the reopening of the U.S. embassy, while the Trump administration is promoting U.S. oil companies to invest in the development of Venezuela's resources. According to Xinhua News Agency, Venezuelan Foreign Minister Jorge Arreaza announced via social media on Friday, January 9, that the Venezuelan government has decided to initiate an "exploratory diplomatic" process with the U.S. government to promote the restoration of their respective diplomatic missions and to establish a work agenda of mutual concern. On Friday during the U.S. stock market's midday session, the Venezuelan Foreign Ministry confirmed that U.S. State Department officials had arrived in Venezuela "to conduct technical and logistical assessments," while Venezuelan representatives would travel to the U.S. "to fulfill corresponding duties." CCTV News mentioned that this is the first time U.S. personnel have entered the country since Venezuelan President Maduro was forcibly controlled. Reports indicate that the Venezuelan Foreign Ministry also stated: "Venezuela will respond to U.S. aggression through diplomatic channels." According to CCTV News, after media reports claimed that Venezuelan acting president Rodriguez plans to visit Washington on the 13th, Venezuelan Minister of News and Communication Niñez denied that Rodriguez intends to visit the U.S., stating that she has no plans for foreign visits in the near future. The Venezuelan government is currently focused on domestic agendas to ensure that the people enjoy their rights to peace and stability. Earlier on Friday, according to Xinhua News Agency, Trump announced on social media the cancellation of the planned second wave of military strikes against Venezuela, but emphasized that all U.S. ships would maintain their current deployments. He also revealed that Venezuelan opposition leader Machado may visit the U.S. next week, with both sides expected to hold meetings. U.S. Assessment of Reopening Embassy Operations According to CCTV News, a working group from the U.S. State Department arrived in Caracas, Venezuela, on Friday, January 9, on a plane belonging to the State Department that took off from Curacao and landed at Simón Bolívar International Airport in Caracas. The purpose of the U.S. visit is to conduct a preliminary assessment for the phased restoration of operations at the U.S. embassy in Venezuela. The delegation includes diplomatic and security officials from the Venezuela Affairs Office based in Colombia, as well as John T. McNamara, the chargé d'affaires at the U.S. embassy in Colombia. U.S. State Department officials stated that relevant preparations are underway, and whether to formally reopen the embassy will depend on Trump's decision. In January 2019, Venezuela severed ties with the U.S., and all diplomatic personnel from the U.S. embassy in Venezuela were evacuated in March of that year. In August 2019, the U.S. State Department opened a Venezuela Affairs Office in Bogotá, Colombia. Trump Promotes Oil Company Investment in Venezuela U.S. Energy Secretary Dan Brouillette stated on Friday, January 9, that the Trump administration will adjust relevant policies to allow U.S. oil companies to enter Venezuela to conduct business. Brouillette noted that the related oil investments will primarily be funded by corporate capital, and no oil companies have yet requested financial support from the U.S. government. Reports mention that Trump met with more than a dozen oil industry executives at the White House on Friday to promote U.S. energy companies' investment in rebuilding Venezuela's oil infrastructure. U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Energy Secretary Chris Wright, and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum attended the meeting According to CCTV, U.S. Energy Secretary Dan Brouillette stated on Friday that the Trump administration will adjust relevant policies to allow U.S. oil companies to operate in Venezuela. Brouillette mentioned that the related oil investments will mainly be funded by corporate capital, and no oil companies have yet requested financial support from the U.S. government. U.S. Interior Secretary David Bernhardt told the media on Friday that the Trump administration is unlikely to provide economic support to help U.S. oil companies revitalize Venezuela's oil industry. Bernhardt, who also serves as the head of the White House National Energy Council, stated, "Funding will come from capital markets and energy companies. I don't believe these companies need support from the U.S. government beyond security. If we can provide a safe and stable environment, the resources here are so important and vast that they will attract people to come and develop them." According to Xinhua News Agency, Trump emphasized that the U.S. is closely cooperating with Venezuela, especially in rebuilding oil and gas infrastructure in a "larger scale, higher quality, and more modern" manner. He revealed that large U.S. oil companies will invest at least $100 billion. U.S. Continues to Intercept Venezuelan Oil Tankers According to CCTV News, the U.S. Southern Command confirmed on January 9th that U.S. military forces, in conjunction with the Department of Homeland Security, controlled and seized the oil tanker "Orlina" in a joint operation in the Caribbean early that morning, with no conflicts occurring during the operation. The statement indicated that the operation was executed by the "Southern Spear" Joint Task Force and was launched from the USS Gerald R. Ford aircraft carrier, with support from multiple U.S. amphibious assault vessels. The U.S. emphasized its ongoing commitment to combat illegal activities. This marks the fifth interception operation by the U.S. targeting vessels involved in Venezuelan crude oil transport in recent weeks, aimed at strengthening control over Venezuela's oil exports. The "Orlina" tanker had previously set sail from Venezuela and was accused of disguising itself under the flag of East Timor. A British maritime risk management company stated that the ship's AIS positioning system last showed activity in the northeastern waters of Venezuela's exclusive economic zone 52 days ago. Colombian President Expresses Security Concerns According to CCTV News, Colombian President Gustavo Petro recently expressed in an interview that he is indeed concerned about potentially facing a fate similar to that of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, stating that "any national leader who does not align with certain interests could be forcibly removed." According to Spanish media on Friday, Petro admitted in an interview that he had worried about being forcibly controlled by the U.S. military like Maduro, but he believes that his phone call with Trump on the 7th "froze" that threat. Petro told the media, "Trump explicitly told me during the call that he was considering doing something bad in Colombia. What he meant was that they are planning a military operation." When asked if the threat from Trump has dissipated, Petro said, "I believe the threat has been 'frozen,' but I could be wrong. We are not clear on what specific military operations have been planned, only that one operation is underway." Petro pointed out that Trump has been sending related signals for months, but he does not rule out the possibility of the situation escalating again