The United States appointed John Barrett as the new head of its diplomatic mission to Venezuela, within the framework of the normalization of relations between both countries after the fall of Nicolás Maduro, the US embassy in Caracas announced on Wednesday.
This is the highest authority of a diplomatic representation after an ambassador.
“I am pleased to announce that John Barrett will soon arrive in Venezuela to serve as the next Chargé d’Affaires of the United States Embassy in Caracas,” announced the outgoing Laura Dogu, appointed in January, in an official statement published in X.
“My temporary assignment in Caracas is coming to an end, and I will return to my previous position as Foreign Policy Advisor to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the United States,” Dogu added.
The United States and the interim government of Venezuela headed by Delcy Rodríguez agreed in early March to reestablish diplomatic and consular relations after seven years of rupture.
The US embassy in Caracas resumed operations at the end of that month, while Venezuela once again took possession of its embassy in Washington.
Barrett had been serving as U.S. chargé d’affaires for Guatemala since January 2026. He has served in Panama, Peru and Brazil.
After the overthrow of Maduro in a US operation on January 3, Rodríguez governs under strong pressure from Washington, which claims to be in charge of the Caribbean country.
The interim president promoted an oil reform and a new mining law with a view to opening the country with the largest proven reserves of global crude oil to foreign investors.
