Venezuela's interim President, Delcy Rodriguez, announced a significant diplomatic reshuffle, appointing Felix Plasencia as the head of a newly merged Ministry of Foreign Relations and Foreign Trade. Plasencia, who previously served as Rodriguez's representative in Washington since February 2, 2026, and also held the position of foreign minister under Nicolas Maduro, is tasked with bolstering Venezuela's diplomatic and trade relationships globally during a period of complex international tensions.
This strategic move involves the unification of the Ministry of Popular Power for Foreign Relations and the Ministry of Foreign Trade into a single entity. Rodriguez stated that Plasencia's extensive diplomatic experience will be crucial in directing Venezuela's foreign policy, defending its sovereignty, strengthening cooperative relationships, and promoting peace diplomacy worldwide. The appointment coincides with a broader realignment of Venezuela's foreign policy, which has seen closer ties with the U.S. following the capture of Nicolas Maduro in January.
The changes also include the departure of Johan Álvarez, who previously served as the Minister for Foreign Trade, to other responsibilities. Yván Gil, the former Minister of Foreign Relations, was appointed as the new Minister of Science and Technology. These administrative changes underscore Venezuela's new political stage, initiated after Maduro's capture, and reflect Rodriguez's efforts to foster stronger economic and political ties, particularly with the United States. The U.S. Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) still prohibits the participation of companies from certain countries in Venezuela's new oil businesses, highlighting the ongoing intricacies of the nation's international economic landscape.
