US and Venezuela begin talks on transitional future.

Venezuela – (Web Desk) – Venezuela’s interim president, Delcy Rodríguez, strengthened her new administration on Monday by naming several cabinet officials and hosting the United States’ newly appointed top diplomat in Caracas to talk about the country’s future after the removal of Nicolás Maduro.

Laura Dogu, the U.S. charge d’affaires in Venezuela, said on social media that their conversation covered U.S. plans for stabilizing the country, boosting the economy, promoting reconciliation and managing a political “transition,” though she did not explain exactly what that transition will involve.

Maduro had led Venezuela since 2013 until U.S. forces ousted and detained him, but many elements of his government still remain. After the meeting, Venezuela’s foreign minister said the focus now will be on resolving long‑standing differences and historical disputes between Caracas and Washington, and on working together on common issues like energy, trade and politics.

“We reviewed the common agenda, especially on energy, trade, and politics,” he added.

In addition to meeting with Dogu, Rodriguez made several key appointments to her presidential cabinet, including tapping former foreign minister Felix Plasencia to lead Venezuela’s diplomatic mission in the United States.

Venezuela and the United States move toward a rare diplomatic thaw as Delcy Rodríguez meets U.S. envoy Laura Dogu in Caracas. Energy, trade, and political cooperation topped the agenda, signaling a possible shift after years of frozen ties.#Venezuela #UnitedStates… pic.twitter.com/RUWg6tNqeN

— APT News (@APT__News) February 3, 2026

“Very soon we’ll have our diplomatic representative, Felix Plasencia, in Washington to accelerate diplomatic work, political work, and the work of developing our common agenda,” Gil said.

Plasencia’s appointment marks a pivotal change in diplomatic relations between Caracas and Washington, which were severed in 2019 after the United States refused to recognize Maduro’s reelection and instead supported a parallel government led by then-opposition leader Juan Guaido.

Rodriguez also appointed Daniella Cabello — the daughter of Venezuela’s powerful interior minister, Diosdado Cabello — as her cabinet’s tourism minister.

The elder Cabello was widely considered to be Venezuela’s second-most powerful figure after Maduro, and his backing for Rodriguez’s government is seen as critical.

Cabello pledged the police’s support for Rodriguez when she became country’s leader after Maduro was ousted in a deadly US military operation last month and whisked away to New York to stand trial on drug charges.

The appointments come weeks after Rodriguez, formerly the vice president, cleared ranks among the country’s top military brass, appointing 12 senior officers to regional commands.

Among those she dismissed was businessman Alex Saab, the minister of industry under Maduro and a close ally of the former president.

Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado meanwhile told reporters during a video call Monday that she would be willing to meet with Rodriguez “if it’s necessary” in order to establish a “transition timeline.”

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“If it’s necessary to exchange ideas in a meeting to define a transition timeline, it will happen,” she said according to a transcript.

However, she added that Rodriguez’s interim government “is still the mafia. They may have another name, but they are the mafia.”