Caracas, Venezuela

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on Monday said his government was ready to normalise diplomatic and political connections with the United States. "Venezuela is ready, fully ready to take steps towards a process of normalisation and regulation of diplomatic, consular, and political relations with this US government and with the government that may come," he said. 

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In 2019, Venezuela cut ties with the US when the latter started identifying opposition leader Juan Guaido as the interim president instead of re-elected Maduro. Washington targeted Venezuela's oil and financial enterprises and slapped sanctions on Caracas.

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However, the two countries renewed communication in March 2022 when President Joe Biden sent a US delegation to Caracas. The objective was to negotiate with the Maduro regime about oil supply problems amid the Ukraine war, energy crisis heightened by cutting of ties with Russia, prisoner exchanges, and other topics. 

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Tensions between the US and Venezuela also eased when the Venezuelan opposition was keen to oust Guaido, and the United States agreed not to interfere with the country's affairs.

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In a second hearing, the Venezuelan opposition supported the elimination of the self-proclaimed 'interim government' led by Guaido since 2019.

Nicolas Maduro's government and the opposition are currently in a power battle. The South American country has been in a downward spiral of growing political discontent for years. While some nations recognise Maduro as the legal president, many people have backed Guaido. 

(With inputs from agencies)

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