Venezuela’s interim president Delcy Rodriguez meeting with ‘Israeli’ representatives. (July 22, 2026)
After Maduro: ‘Israel’ and Venezuela restore consular ties after 17 years
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‘Israel’ and Venezuela have agreed to renew consular relations and establish an official coordination channel, ending a 17-year freeze in formal ties.
The announcement came on Tuesday from both governments following talks in recent weeks between ‘Israeli’ Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar and his Venezuelan counterpart, Félix Plasencia.
The two sides will create a coordination mechanism to provide consular services.
The pair have had no diplomatic relations since January 2009, when then-President Hugo Chávez severed them in protest over ‘Israel’s’ military operation in Gaza.
Ties remained frozen under Nicolás Maduro.
The latest step falls short of full diplomatic restoration but marks the first official channel between Tel Aviv and Caracas in nearly two decades.
Venezuelan officials described the deal as continuing “bilateral technical cooperation derived from the emergency and recovery efforts following the double earthquake” while establishing the consular mechanism.
The shift occurs amid major political change in Caracas. After US forces abducted Maduro in January, Rodríguez took interim leadership and moved Venezuela closer to Washington, distancing it from its previous alignment with Iran.
‘Israeli’ officials had earlier welcomed Maduro’s removal and expressed hope for improved bilateral ties.
