US names new top envoy for Venezuela after Maduro capture

WASHINGTON, Jan 22 (Reuters) - ⁠The United States ⁠has ‍named a two-time U.S. ambassador as its top envoy for Venezuela, according to the U.S. ‍embassy in Caracas website.

Laura Dogu, who previously served ​as ambassador to Honduras and Nicaragua, will serve as charge d'affaires ​to the Venezuela Affairs Unit based out of the embassy in Bogota, according to the website.

Dogu takes up the role after the ​United States captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in a raid earlier this month and whisked him to New ​York to face drug-trafficking charges.

“The Trump Administration continues to work with the ‌interim authorities to stabilize Venezuela as part of the three-phase plan Secretary Rubio laid out for ​Congress and the American people," ⁠a senior State Department official said.

"This plan requires a full-time Chargé d'Affaires at the Venezuela ‌Affairs Unit, located at the United States Embassy in Bogota. Ambassador Dogu is ... well-positioned to lead the team during this ‌transition period.”

The United States earlier this month began preparations in case ‌President Donald Trump decides to reopen the U.S. embassy in Venezuela's capital Caracas.

U.S. diplomatic and security personnel traveled to Caracas on January ‍9 for an assessment of a "potential phased resumption" of embassy operations there, a State ⁠Department spokesperson said at the time.

The U.S. in 2019 withdrew all diplomatic personnel from Venezuela, citing the deteriorating situation in the country after months of political unrest.

(Reporting by Daphne Psaledakis; Editing by Nia Williams)

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