Venezuela and the Dominican Republic have agreed to work toward restoring bilateral relations, which were suspended after Santo Domingo criticized the re-election of former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro as fraudulent.
According to a statement from Venezuela's Foreign Ministry on Sunday, the two countries have agreed on a dialogue roadmap aimed at the "gradual normalization" of diplomatic relations.
"This decision serves the common interest of strengthening institutional communication channels for the benefit of the peoples of both countries," the Venezuelan Foreign Ministry said, describing the agreement as the result of "ongoing dialogue" between the parties.
The Dominican Republic was among dozens of countries that declared they would not recognize Maduro's 2024 re-election, amid widespread allegations of fraud from election observers and the Venezuelan opposition. After that election, Venezuela's government launched a heavy-handed crackdown on protests that left many dead. Venezuela responded by cutting diplomatic relations with the Dominican Republic.
Maduro was captured by U.S. forces during a military raid in Venezuela in January. The interim government in Caracas, led by acting President Delcy Rodríguez, has pursued re-engagement with former estranged partners as part of a broader reorientation of relations aligned with U.S. interests in the region.
This process includes opening Venezuela's energy sector to U.S. investment, facilitating access to other natural resources such as minerals, along with closer ties with Washington.
Recently, Venezuela also announced its withdrawal from the International Criminal Court (ICC), alleging bias against poor and non-Western nations. The ICC had stated in 2021 that it would investigate potential crimes against humanity by Venezuela's government during the 2017 crackdown on anti-government protests. However, the recent withdrawal decision coincides with the Trump administration's efforts to weaken the international body.
Earlier, in February, Venezuela agreed to resume flights between Caracas and Santo Domingo, the capital of the Dominican Republic, along with consular services.
