US and Venezuela renew diplomatic ties as Cuba is in throes of economic crisis

The U.S. charge d'affaires has arrived in Caracas to reopen the American diplomatic mission in Venezuela after seven years of severed ties.

The move comes a month after military action ordered by U.S. President Donald Trump removed the South American country's then-leader Nicolas Maduro from office.

This as Trump said he believes the U.S. would "work a deal" on Cuba, which has lived off Venezuelan oil and money.

The U.S. charge d'affaires Laura Dogu arrived on Venezuelan soil Saturday, the first time since 2019 America has had a diplomatic mission in the country, after Nicolas Maduro broke off diplomatic relations.

Interior Minister and Maduro loyalist Diosdado Cabello said earlier in January that reopening the U.S. embassy would give the Venezuelan government a way to oversee the treatment of deposed president Maduro, who is jailed in the U.S.

Venezuela's foreign minister said on Telegram that Dogu's arrival is part of a joint schedule to "deal with and resolve existing differences through diplomatic dialogue, in a foundation of mutual respect and (based on) international law."

This as the landscape and lives in Cuba have changed dramatically since the fallout of the U.S. attack on Venezuela, Havana's strongest ally.

DANICA COTO, The Associated Press: "Cuba was already in the throes of an economic crisis when the U.S. attacked Venezuela and arrested its president, Nicolas Maduro. As a result, Cubans and some experts say that the island could be facing a potentially catastrophic crisis. This as a result in a halt in oil shipments from Venezuela."

U.S. President Donald Trump said the U.S. was beginning to talk with Cuban leaders as his administration is putting greater pressure on the communist-run island - one of which is cutting off key oil supplies.

U.S. President DONALD TRUMP: "I think we're going to work a deal with Cuba. I think you know, we'll be kind. We have a situation that's very bad for Cuba. They have no money, they have no oil. The Venezuela, they lived off Venezuelan money and oil and none of that is coming now."