Venezuela's Delcy Rodríguez Appoints Félix Plasencia as Ambassador to US, Meets With US Diplomatic Envoy

Caracas (OrinocoTribune.com)—Acting President Delcy Rodríguez appointed Félix Plasencia as the Venezuelan ambassador to the US on Monday night. Foreign Affairs Minister Yván Gil announced the appointment, noting that Plasencia is expected to travel to the US with his team in the coming days.

The announcement followed a meeting between Rodríguez and the US Chargé d’Affaires for the Venezuela Affairs Unit in Bogota, Laura Dogu. The top Venezuelan diplomat explained that the meeting included a review of a shared agenda, particularly regarding energy, trade, political, and economic issues. A central point of the discussion was the reopening of the US embassy in Caracas, to be headed by Dogu, and the Venezuelan embassy in Washington. No further details were provided regarding specific projects currently under development by the two countries.

Dogu stated that her presence in Caracas represents a “historic moment” for both countries, endorsing the approach the White House has outlined for the bilateral relation with Venezuela. “We want a friendly, stable, prosperous, and democratic Venezuela,” she affirmed. “To achieve this, my team and I will work hand in hand with Venezuelans from a variety of sectors and perspectives.”

The diplomat arrived in Caracas last week, echoing the rhetoric of US Secretary of State Marco Rubio following the bloody US military strikes on January 3 that culminated with the abduction of President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Deputy Cilia Flores.

“We are going to implement a three-phase plan: stabilizing the country and restoring security; recovering its economy; and transitioning to a friendly and democratic Venezuela,” Dogu added. Many analysts noted that her tone was not particularly diplomatic, hinting at a potential upcoming clash with the Chavista leadership currently in control of Venezuela under Constitutional mandates.

Regarding the meeting and Plasencia’s appointment, Minister Gil added, “As of today, this representative of the United States is in Caracas, and very soon, we will have our diplomatic representative in Washington to accelerate the diplomatic and political work and the work of developing this common agenda in the economic, political, and social areas of both governments.”

Plasencia’s diplomatic career
Félix Plasencia has an extensive diplomatic career. He previously served as Venezuela’s minister of foreign affairs between 2021 and 2022. Prior to that, he held the posts of deputy minister for multilateral affairs, as well as deputy minister for Asia, the Middle East, and Oceania.

On January 9, Plasencia and career military officer Orlando Maniglia were part of a Venezuelan delegation that traveled to Washington for diplomatic talks. He was also present at the meeting between Rodríguez and Dogu, alongside Minister Gil and National Assembly President Jorge Rodríguez.

Most recently, on April 2, 2024, the National Assembly unanimously authorized Plasencia’s appointment as ambassador and permanent representative of Venezuela to the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and other organizations based in London and to the United Kingdom.

New foreign ambassadors
On Tuesday, Acting President Rodríguez also received the credentials of new ambassadors from Qatar, Italy, and Nicaragua at Miraflores Palace. During the ceremony, Rodríguez was accompanied by Foreign Minister Gil and Vice Minister for Asia, the Middle East, and Oceania Tatiana Pugh.

Rodríguez received the credentials of:

• Salman Nabit Mubarak Abdullah Al-Khulaifi, Ambassador of Qatar to Venezuela.
• Giovanni Umberto De Vito, Ambassador of Italy to Venezuela.
• Valeska Fiorella López Herrera, Ambassador of Nicaragua to Venezuela.

The ceremony reaffirms the strong bilateral relations that unite Venezuela with these three nations, along with the Venezuelan commitment to continuing to strengthen friendly and respectful relations with the international community.

Special for Orinoco Tribune by staff

OT/JRE/SL