The American flag was raised at the embassy in Venezuela for the first time in 7 years
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The American flag also flew over the US Embassy in Venezuela on Saturday, the first time it has been raised in the South American country in seven years.
The embassy in Caracas is still under renovation, and officials have not said when the building will be fully open, the Associated Press reported.
The return of the flag comes months after former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro was captured by US forces in January.
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The US flag flies again at the US Embassy in Caracas, Venezuela, on Saturday, seven years after it was taken down when Washington and Caracas cut diplomatic ties in 2019. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos)
The US Embassy highlighted this moment on social media, calling it the beginning of a new chapter in the relationship between Washington and Caracas.
“A new era of US-Venezuela relations has begun,” the US Ambassador wrote in X.
Some citizens expressed hope that the symbols of the flag improve relations with the international community.
Caracas resident Alessandro Di Benedetto said the mood among onlookers was optimistic, according to the Associated Press.
The US Embassy entrance sign is seen in Caracas, Venezuela. (Associated Press)
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“I found a few people here surprised and happy because today they raised the American flag at the embassy,” he said. “This is good; this is another step.”
The embassy has been closed since March 12, 2019, when the US and Venezuela cut diplomatic ties, according to the US State Department website.
Maduro was captured during a US military operation in Caracas on Jan. 3 then flew to New York, where he is currently being held in a federal prison.
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Nicolás Maduro is seen in handcuffs after arriving by helicopter in Manhattan, escorted by heavily armed federal agents as they enter an armored car en route to the Federal courthouse in Manhattan on Jan. 5, 2026 in New York City. (Photos by XNY/Star Max/GC via Getty Images)
He is facing multiple charges, including conspiracy to commit terrorism, conspiracy to import cocaine, possession of firearms and explosives, and conspiracy to possess such weapons.
Maduro’s wife, Cilia Flores, is also facing drug-trafficking and weapons charges.
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Both pleaded not guilty when they appeared in federal court in New York on Jan. 5.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
