A view of the US embassy in Caracas, Venezuela, March 12, 2019. Photo: Juan Barreto/AFP/file photo.
Caracas (OrinocoTribune.com)—On Friday, Venezuela announced that it has begun “an exploratory diplomatic process” with the United States to resume bilateral relations, according to a statement released by Foreign Minister Yván Gil. “Venezuela has decided to initiate an exploratory diplomatic process with the US government, aimed at re-establishing diplomatic missions in both countries,” the statement read.
To this end, a delegation of diplomatic officials from the US State Department arrived in Caracas on Friday to conduct technical and logistical assessments related to the resumption of diplomatic operations. Similarly, Venezuela will send a diplomatic delegation to Washington to carry out the corresponding tasks, Venezuelan authorities explained in the statement.
On Thursday, Deputy Nicolás Maduro Guerra, the son of President Nicolás Maduro, explained during an international webinar that this plan was drafted before the US military attack against Venezuela, as was the plan to sell Venezuela’s overstock inventories to the US regime.
The statement begins by reiterating the international condemnation that Venezuela “has been the victim of a criminal, illegitimate, and illegal aggression against its territory and its people.” The attack left over 100 civilians and military personnel dead, “who, in defense of the homeland, were killed in flagrant violation of international law.”
The statement reiterates that the illegal abduction of the constitutional president of the republic, Nicolás Maduro Moros, and First Lady Cilia Flores occurred in the context of the Saturday, January 3, aggression, constituting a serious violation of the personal immunity of heads of state and the fundamental principles of the international legal order.
Finally, the letter states that “as acting president, Delcy Rodríguez has reiterated that Venezuela will confront this aggression through diplomatic channels, convinced that Bolivarian Peace Diplomacy is the legitimate path for the defense of sovereignty, the restoration of international law, and the preservation of peace.”
The unofficial translation of the statement follows:
The government of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela reiterates its international condemnation of the criminal, illegitimate, and illegal aggression against its territory and its people, an action that has resulted in the deaths of more than 100 civilians and military personnel who, in defense of the homeland, were killed in flagrant violation of international law. As is well-known, the constitutional president of the republic, Nicolás Maduro Moros, and First Lady Cilia Flores were illegally abducted, constituting a grave violation of his personal immunity as head of state and of the fundamental principles of international law.
In order to address this situation within the framework of international law, and in strict adherence to the principles of national sovereignty and Bolivarian Peace Diplomacy, the Bolivarian government of Venezuela has decided to initiate an exploratory diplomatic process with the government of the United States of America, aimed at reestablishing diplomatic missions in both countries. This process seeks to address the consequences of the aggression and the kidnapping of the president of the republic and the first lady, as well as to develop a working agenda of mutual interest.
In this context, a delegation of diplomatic officials from the United States Department of State is arriving in the country to conduct technical and logistical assessments related to diplomatic functions. Likewise, a delegation of Venezuelan diplomats will be sent to the United States to carry out the corresponding duties.
As Acting President, Delcy Rodríguez has reiterated that Venezuela will confront this aggression through diplomatic channels, convinced that Bolivarian Diplomacy of Peace is the legitimate path for defending sovereignty, restoring international law, and preserving peace.
Caracas, January 9, 2026.
Naval blockade continues
Also on Friday, the US regime announced the seizure of the Olina oil tanker carrying Venezuelan oil in the Caribbean Sea.
The US Southern Command explained that Marines and sailors departed from the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford to stop the ship without incident, with the support of the US Navy’s Amphibious Group and the USS Iwo Jima, USS San Antonio, and USS Fort Lauderdale ships.
The Olina is the fifth vessel seized by US forces as part of their recent operations in Latin America and the Caribbean. On January 7, it was confirmed that US forces boarded the Russian oil tanker Marinera.
This action against the Russian-flagged vessel was condemned by China, whose government warned thatthis was a serious violation of international law. Mainstream media reports that the oil shipment’s final destination was China.
Blockade statistics
As of January 9, 2026, the US naval blockade has significantly intensified. While several high-profile seizures have occurred in the last 48 hours, a substantial flotilla of tankers has successfully defied it and is currently navigating toward international markets.
Five major tankers have been confirmed as seized by US forces. These vessels are being redirected to US ports for the final consolidation of what analysts label an act of piracy:
• Skipper: Seized on December 10, 2025. The Guyana-flagged vessel was the first to be taken and is currently held near the Port of Galveston, Texas.
• Centuries: Seized on December 20, 2025. It remains under US custody off the coast of Texas.
• Marinera (formerly Bella 1): In a high-stakes operation on January 7, 2026, the US Coast Guard cutter Munro boarded this Russian-flagged tanker in the North Atlantic between Iceland and Scotland. Despite being escorted by a Russian submarine and naval vessel, US special forces boarded the ship without incident.
• M/V Sophia: Also seized on January 7, 2026, in a pre-dawn operation in the Caribbean.
• Olina: Reports from January 9 indicate that the US Coast Guard has intercepted the tanker.
The US blockade of Venezuela is materially imperfect and extremely hard to enforce, despite the unprecedented level of US warships in the area. However, oil experts have reported that Venezuelan inventories have begun to rise. If they reach their peak, the country will be forced to close oil rigs, with terrible implications for Venezuela’s oil production recovery.
Despite the heavy presence of the US war machine in the Caribbean, a significant number of vessels have managed to clear Venezuelan waters or are currently attempting to disperse in the central Atlantic.
The Flotilla of 16: According to vessel-tracking data, at least 16 tankers have left Venezuela in defiance of the blockade since the beginning of 2026.
Bertha, Veronica III, and Aquila II are three large tankers—two VLCCs and one Suezmax—that were visually confirmed to depart Venezuela on January 3, laden with crude and fuel oil. They are currently unaccounted for but are believed to be leading a larger group of 12 other vessels.
Aria and Tia: As of January 8, these two tankers were spotted sailing through the English Channel toward Russia. Both vessels have so far avoided interception by navigating through heavily trafficked waters.
Galileo: This vessel is also attempting to break the blockade by disabling its Automatic Identification System (AIS) transponders and performing ship-to-ship transfers to avoid illegal US seizure.
The US regime has stated, without legal backing, that any attempt to export Venezuelan oil will be met with force. Meanwhile, analysts suggest that the oil freedom fleet is successfully dispersing to make a total blockade physically impossible.
Special for Orinoco Tribune by staff
OT/JRE/SF
