Washington, January 10 (NationPress) The Venezuelan administration has expressed its desire to initiate preliminary discussions with Washington aimed at reinstating diplomatic missions. This comes as the United States has commenced an initial review of conditions on the ground in Caracas amidst ongoing security alerts.

In a statement, the Venezuelan government articulated its intention “to embark on a preliminary diplomatic journey with the Government of the United States of America, focused on restoring diplomatic missions in both nations.” This initiative is said to be influenced by “national sovereignty and the Bolivarian Diplomacy of Peace.”

The declaration coincided with confirmations from US officials that diplomatic and security teams had arrived in the Venezuelan capital to evaluate conditions for a potential reopening of the US Embassy.

“As President Trump articulated, we are preparing for a reopening should the President decide,” a senior State Department official remarked.

“On January 9, US diplomatic and security personnel from the VAU, including Charge d’Affaires John T. McNamara, arrived in Caracas to carry out an initial evaluation for a potential phased resumption of operations,” the senior State Department official added.

However, the Venezuelan statement juxtaposed this diplomatic overture with serious allegations against Washington. It claimed that Venezuela has been subjected to “a criminal, illegitimate, and illegal aggression against its territory and its people,” asserting that such actions resulted in “over one hundred civilian and military casualties” in violation of international law.

The statement further accused the US of “the unlawful kidnapping of the Constitutional President of the Republic, Nicolás Maduro Moros, and the First Lady, Cilia Flores,” labeling it a grave violation of the immunity of heads of state and international legal standards.

Meanwhile, the US Embassy in Caracas reiterated its highest-level travel advisory for Venezuela, citing that the security situation remains “fluid.” The embassy cautioned US citizens against traveling to the country, highlighting “significant risks to Americans,” including wrongful detention, crime, civil unrest, and limited healthcare access.

The embassy noted that no commercial flights are currently operating in or out of Venezuela, complicating evacuation efforts, and emphasized that all consular services are unavailable. “The US government remains unable to provide emergency assistance to US citizens in Venezuela,” it stated.

The United States withdrew its diplomatic staff from Caracas and halted embassy operations in March 2019 due to a deteriorating political crisis. Since then, Washington has advised Americans against traveling to Venezuela and has managed consular matters via the US Embassy in Bogotá, Colombia.