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US moves fast to reopen Venezuela embassy after yearslong freeze

US moves fast to reopen Venezuela embassy after yearslong freeze

The U.S. will “very quickly” reopen its embassy in Venezuela and establish a diplomatic presence on the ground, according to Secretary of State Marco Rubio. “We have a team on the ground there assessing it, and we think very quickly we’ll be able to open a U.S. diplomatic presence on the ground,” Rubio told members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee Wednesday.  The goal, he said, would be not just to interact with officials on the ground but also “civil society and the opposition.” Such a move would mean restoring diplomatic relations with Venezuela, which were broken off in 2019 when the U.S. embassy’s doors shuttered. VENEZUELA’S DELCY RODRÍGUEZ SNAPS AT WASHINGTON, DECLARES ‘ENOUGH’ OF US INFLUENCE The Trump administration has been in dialogue with Delcy Rodríguez, Nicolás Maduro’s former vice president whom U.S. officials describe as an interim leader, since the capture of the wanted Venezuelan dictator. Reopening the embassy would require the U.S. to acknowledge a governing authority in Caracas, Venezuela, capable of receiving diplomats — a step that would mark a clear shift from Washington’s long-standing refusal to engage Venezuela’s executive.  The current Venezuelan leadership has “been very cooperative on that front,” Rubio said. “Obviously there’s been some hard asks along the way.” Rubio said the administration is not seeking further military action in Venezuela but stressed that force has not been taken off the table.  “The president never rules out his options as commander in chief to protect the national interest of the United States,” Rubio told lawmakers, while emphasizing that the U.S. is “not postured to, nor do we intend or expect to have to take any military action in Venezuela at any time.” Rubio also offered details about the first $500 million of the U.S.-brokered sale of Venezuelan oil, saying $300 million went back to Venezuela to pay for public services, while $200 million remains in a U.S.-run account. CIA DIRECTOR WAS IN VENEZUELA TO MEET WITH ACTING PRESIDENT DELCY RODRIGUEZ, OFFICIAL SAYS He declined to share details on how long Rodríguez would remain in power, but said a diplomatic presence would help keep a check on the new government.  “I can’t give you a timeline of how long it takes. It can’t take forever,” Rubio said. “But it’s not even been four weeks.” His comments come amid mixed signals from Venezuela’s interim leadership. In recent days, Rodríguez has struck a defiant tone toward Washington, declaring she had “enough” of U.S. influence in Venezuelan politics during a speech to oil workers broadcast on state television. The remarks appeared aimed largely at a domestic audience, even as Venezuela remains constrained by U.S. sanctions and dependent on American decisions over oil licenses and revenue controls. Rubio said the administration’s goal is to push Venezuela toward a democratic transition, describing the Maduro regime as “a base of operation for virtually every competitor, adversary and enemy in the world.”  He said the U.S. is aiming for a “friendly, stable, prosperous Venezuela and democratic… with free and fair elections,” while acknowledging the process will take time. Pressed on corruption concerns, Rubio said an audit mechanism is being established.  “The audit will be on,” he told senators, stressing that spending would be restricted to approved public needs.

Josh Shapiro knocks Biden’s record, says Democrats failed to deliver results Americans could ‘see or feel’

Josh Shapiro knocks Biden’s record, says Democrats failed to deliver results Americans could ‘see or feel’

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, a potential 2028 Democratic presidential contender, is criticizing former President Joe Biden and his administration for failing to deliver results for Americans. “The Biden-Harris administration didn’t provide those specific tangible things that people could see or feel,” Shapiro said this week during an appearance on the “Raging Moderates” podcast that comes amid a slew of interviews the governor’s giving as part of the rollout of his new memoir, “Where We Keep the Light: Stories From a Life of Service.” Shapiro, who is running for re-election this year in the crucial northeastern battleground state, has taken some jabs at Biden and former Vice President Kamala Harris, who may end up being a rival for the 2028 Democratic presidential nomination. The governor, in his interview, gave what he called “a very specific, concrete example” of the Biden-Harris administration’s failing optics. SHAPIRO REJECTS CLAIM HIS BOOK IS A RESPONSE TO KAMALA HARRIS CRITICISM “One of the biggest things holding back our rural communities is a lack of high-speed, affordable internet,” Shapiro said as he pointed to his home state. The governor added that he “was incredibly proud of President Biden when they got that infrastructure bill passed to provide the billions of dollars that were needed to plug everybody in, connect everybody in Pennsylvania. But, he added, “Do you know how many people … this many years later, have been connected to high-speed affordable internet thanks to President Biden’s law in Pennsylvania? Zero. Because the dollars were never driven out.” JOSH SHAPIRO ACCUSES HARRIS’ VETTING TEAM OF MAKING DISRESPECTFUL COMMENTARY TOWARDS HIS WIFE Shapiro used the episode to contrast the former president’s style of governing with his own. “That broadband example is just one where I think there’s a real difference in approach. I’m about concrete, get s— done, show your work and not just talking about it,” the governor added. Fox News Digital reached out to the former president’s spokesperson for comment but hadn’t received a response by the time this story published. But a longtime Democratic strategist and veteran of the Biden-Harris 2024 presidential campaign told Fox News Digital he found Shapiro’s comments “pretty weird and bizarre.” “Every Democrat, including Josh Shapiro, has a long record of praising and defending Joe Biden and the same legislation that Shapiro is now taking issue with,” the strategist, who asked to remain anonymous to speak more freely, said. Broadband funding for Pennsylvania was delayed in part due to federal rules changes, administrative bottlenecks and shifting technology focus. IT’S JANUARY 2026, BUT THE 2028 WHITE HOUSE RACE IS WELL UNDERWAY Shapiro, in his book, shared new details about briefly considering challenging Harris for the 2024 Democratic presidential nomination after Biden dropped out of the race one month after a disastrous debate performance against President Donald Trump. But he wrote that he ultimately agreed with his wife that it wasn’t the right time to seek the presidency. Shapiro was among a handful of top Democrats that Harris considered as a running mate before she chose Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz. The former vice president alleged in “107 Days,” her memoir published last year, that, during the running mate vetting process, Shapiro insisted on being “in the room for every decision” if he were to become vice president. Shapiro in an interview late last year rejected her claims as “bulls—” and “blatant lies.” And Shapiro’s book includes critiques of Harris, including the accusation that, during the Harris team’s vice-presidential vetting process, Shapiro was asked if he had ever been an agent of the state of Israel. Fox News’ Alexander Hall contributed to this story.