Meeting of Venezuelan Acting President Delcy Rodríguez with new diplomats to be appointed in the United States. Miraflores Palace, March 24, 2026. Photo: Venezuela's Presidential Press.
Caracas (OrinocoTribune.com/)— On Tuesday, Acting President Delcy Rodríguez announced that a Venezuelan diplomatic delegation will depart for Washington this week. The move aims to resume formal diplomatic ties, as previously announced on February 3, marking one month since the unprecedented US military strikes on Venezuela and the criminal abduction of President Nicolás Maduro.
“This week, a delegation of diplomats will be leaving for Washington to begin this new stage of relations and political diplomatic dialogue between our government,” Acting President Rodríguez said during a meeting at Miraflores Palace with investors and business associations. “So welcome, thank you again, and I hope you return very soon so we can move forward with more concrete projects.”
During the meeting, the Chavista leader reaffirmed Venezuela’s willingness to establish a direct communication channel to facilitate a transparent institutional cooperation agenda. She further reiterated the state’s commitment to rebuilding strong bilateral political and commercial relations with the US to move past the current restrictive framework of illegal US sanctions.
OFAC issues General License 53
Shortly after the announcement, the US Department of the Treasury, through its Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), issued General License 53. This license authorizes transactions linked to Venezuelan diplomatic missions, effectively permitting the operation of Venezuelan diplomatic representations in the US.
The first paragraph of the new OFAC license states: “All transactions prohibited by the Venezuela sanctions regulations, 31 CFR part 591 (the VSR), that are related to the provision of goods or services in the United States to official missions of the government of Venezuela to the United States or to permanent missions of the government of Venezuela to international organizations in the United States (collectively, the ‘missions’), and payment for such goods or services, are authorized…”
Working meeting and delegation members
On Tuesday night, Rodríguez held a televised working session with members of the diplomatic delegation traveling to the US. While specific details about the full delegation were not provided, the meeting included several high-ranking officials.
Accompanying Rodríguez were Foreign Minister Yván Gil, Finance Minister Anabel Pereira, Vice President for Economy and Finance Calixto Ortega, Deputy Foreign Minister for North America and Europe Oliver Blanco, and Chargé d’Affaires Félix Plasencia, who will lead the Venezuelan diplomatic delegation to the US.
The battle for stolen assets
Geopolitical analysts suggest that the resumption of diplomatic ties could represent a turning point in the struggle to recover more than US $30 billion in Venezuelan assets frozen or seized by US imperialism since 2019. For years, the illegal “interim government” construct led by Juan Guaidó served as a legal artifice for Washington to block the Venezuelan people from accessing their own resources, including the CITGO corporation and over US $5 billion in gold held in the Bank of England.
With the US recognition of the Rodríguez administration, the pretext for maintaining these seizures collapses. Recovering control over these resources, including frozen bank accounts and seized subsidiaries, is considered essential for Venezuela’s economic recovery and social well-being after years of financial strangulation and imperialist looting.
Legal security versus OFAC licenses
During the session, Rodríguez emphasized the importance of moving away from the model of temporary OFAC licenses, such as those granted to companies like Chevron, toward a system of permanent legal security. She noted that a framework without sanctions is necessary to provide real certainty for investments in the short, medium, and long term.
She informed business leaders that intermittent licenses make long-term project planning impossible. Furthermore, she reaffirmed Venezuela’s commitment to building a stable and transparent economic cooperation agenda that mutually benefits both peoples. Rodríguez also highlighted the immense mineral potential of the country, which possesses some of the largest reserves of gold, bauxite, and diamonds on the planet, offering strategic opportunities for alliances under the principle of respect for Venezuelan sovereignty.
New leadership for Return to the Homeland Plan
On Tuesday, in a separate development, the National Assembly of Venezuela authorized Deputy Mervin Maldonado to assume the presidency of the Return to the Homeland (Vuelta a la Patria) Plan.
The national program was managed until recently by Camilla Saab, the wife of Alex Saab. Following a cabinet reshuffle on January 17, Alex Saab was replaced as industry minister by Luis Villegas and, according to reports not yet confirmed by authorities, is currently under house arrest.
The president of the National Assembly, Jorge Rodríguez, stated that Maldonado "will be able to assume his position as head of the Great Mission Return to the Homeland, for which we wish him the greatest success." The program, created by President Nicolás Maduro, is designed to protect and assist Venezuelan migrants who face vulnerable situations abroad, including xenophobia, exploitation, and racist persecution resulting from the economic crisis induced by illegal US sanctions.
Special for Orinoco Tribune by staff
OT/JRE/SL
