Ambassador Felix Plasencia, the chief of mission at Venezuela’s embassy in the United Kingdom and a former foreign minister, plans to visit tomorrow at acting president Delcy Rodriguez’s behest, according to people familiar with the plans. They asked not to be identified discussing private deliberations.
Machado, the popular Nobel Peace Prize-winning opposition figure, is expected to meet President Donald Trump on the same day, US officials have said. The duelling visits come as Washington and Caracas look to restore diplomatic ties after years of conflict, after Trump pledged to "run" the country by pressuring the government in Caracas with a US Navy-enforced oil quarantine.
Maduro, Venezuela’s longtime leader, was captured by US forces on January 3 and is in the US awaiting trial on narco-trafficking charges.
Venezuelan authorities yesterday freed at least one US citizen, who had already left the country, people with knowledge of the situation said.
It marks the first known release of an American citizen since authorities in Caracas began freeing detainees as part of an effort to meet Washington’s demands following Maduro’s capture.
A US State Department spokesman said the release was an "important step". — Bloomberg/Reuters
