US Flag Raised at Caracas Embassy After 7 Years

The United States flag was raised over the U.S. Embassy in Caracas, Venezuela, on March 14, 2026, marking the first time in exactly seven years that the symbol of American diplomacy has flown there, amid signs of thawing relations following the capture of former President Nicolás Maduro.

The ceremony occurred at the same hour the flag was last lowered on March 14, 2019, when the embassy closed amid escalating tensions. In a statement posted on social media, the U.S. Embassy announced the event, saying, "A new era has begun for relations between the United States and Venezuela. We are staying with Venezuela." Chargé d'Affaires Laura F. Dogu, who arrived in Caracas last month to lead the mission, oversaw the raising alongside her team. The embassy building remains under renovation, and full operations are not yet expected.

The flag's return stems from a U.S. military operation in early January 2026, when American forces captured Maduro from a compound in Caracas and transferred him to New York to face federal charges of narcoterrorism and drug trafficking. Several of his associates, including family members, were also indicted. Maduro's removal ended a period of intense diplomatic...