U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio received Venezuela’s new Foreign Minister, Oliver Blanco, in Washington on Monday in the first formal contact between the two nations’ top diplomats since bilateral relations were reestablished.
The meeting came just four days after Venezuelan Acting President Delcy Rodriguez named Oliver Blanco to lead the Foreign Ministry, replacing Félix Plasencia. The meeting took place at the headquarters of the U.S. State Department.
This is the first time that the heads of diplomacy of both countries have held a formal face-to-face meeting since June 2016. It was in Santo Domingo, during the OAS General Assembly, that then-Secretary of State John Kerry met for half an hour with then Venezuelan FM Delcy Rodriguez.
The talks centered on political dialogue, national sovereignty and the future of relations between Washington and Caracas. The agenda reflects a relationship that had long been frozen and is now being rebuilt through direct contact at the highest levels of diplomacy.
The future of bilateral relations occupied the remaining portion of the talks. Both sides weighed what a normalized relationship could look like, from economic exchange to diplomatic coordination on regional matters.
After the meeting, the Venezuelan Foreign Minister detailed that both delegations discussed the conditions for Venezuela’s economic development, access to multilateral financial organizations and opportunities for binational economic cooperation. “We reaffirm our willingness to continue building spaces of understanding for the benefit of Venezuela and all Venezuelans,” Blanco stated.
National sovereignty featured prominently in the discussions. For Caracas, the principle carries particular weight in any negotiation with Washington, given the long history of pressure and intervention. The Venezuelan delegation also ratified its institutional commitment to maintaining direct channels of dialogue.
The encounter came days after the Acting President Delcy Rodriguez appointed Blanco to head the Foreign Ministry. Oliver Blanco arrived at the Foreign Ministry after serving as Vice-minister for Europe and North America, a post he had held since February. His appointment shifted Plasencia to the International Affairs Directorate of the presidency, from which he will manage the recovery of Venezuela’s gold reserves deposited in the United Kingdom.
Before flying to United States, the new Venezuelan Foreign Minister had already signaled his willingness to deepen bilateral contacts. On Friday he met in Caracas with John Barrett, the Chargé d’affaires at the U.S. embassy, and ratified his government’s readiness to keep the channels of communication open. “We reaffirm our commitment to continue strengthening, under the leadership of Acting President Delcy Rodriguez, bilateral dialogue and cooperation for the benefit of our countries,” Blanco wrote on his X account after that meeting.
Upon assuming his new responsibilities, Blanco promised a foreign policy aimed at reaching agreements and expanding economic opportunities. He also defended a diplomacy built on exchange with different sectors and said he would seek concrete results through dialogue.
The diplomatic thaw now carries institutional weight. Both governments have moved quickly to restore official channels. Blanco’s rapid trip north suggests Caracas wants the relationship to advance without delay. Monday’s meeting marks the beginning of that negotiation, a first step whose results will be measured in the weeks ahead.
Author: Laura V. Mor
Source: Agencies
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