Venezuela and Israel restore consular ties as relations warm

Venezuela and Israel have agreed to restore consular relations, in a major shift.

The announcement by both Israel and Venezuela on Tuesday comes as the interim President Delcy Rodriguez has pursued a major realignment since the United States military abduction of leader Nicolas Maduro in January.

That has included thawing ties with Israel, after Caracas severed ties 17 years ago in light of Israeli attacks on Gaza. Under Maduro, Venezuela had remained staunchly opposed to Israel, while aligning with regional foe Iran.

In a statement on X, Felix Plasencia Gonzalez, Venezuela’s minister of foreign relations, said the decision to restore consular ties came after Israel deployed a team to Venezuela after twin earthquakes devastated the South American country.

“The Governments of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela and the State of Israel report that they have agreed to continue bilateral technical cooperation derived from the emergency and recovery efforts following the double earthquake, as well as to establish a coordination mechanism for the provision of consular services to their respective citizens residing in both countries,” he said.

In a post on X, the Israeli government’s Spanish-language account said the change indicates “both governments recognise the importance of the bond between the State of Israel and the Jewish community residing in Venezuela, which constitutes an important historical bridge of friendship between the two countries”.

Consular relations typically help provide joint services to citizens and travellers. They can signal a warming of relations, even while falling short of re-establishing full diplomatic ties.

Rodriguez has hewed close to the administration of US President Donald Trump since Maduro’s abduction. The shift towards the close US ally has accompanied Caracas’s move away from its longtime ally Cuba.

In July, Venezuela announced it was withdrawing from the International Criminal Court (ICC), citing alleged bias against the Global South. The move aligns with the Trump administration’s antagonistic approach to the tribunal, which it has pledged to “disable”.

Israel saw its ties with several countries in Latin America deeply strained amid its genocidal war in Gaza, but the election of several right-wing candidates has seen a renewed push across the region to restore relations.

Last week, Chile and Honduras restored their ambassadors to Israel after both were withdrawn amid the war in Gaza. Argentinian President Javier Milei announced last year that the country’s embassy would be relocated to Jerusalem.

The move mirrors Trump’s decision to relocate the embassy to Jerusalem, long seen as the future capital of a Palestinian state, in 2018.

Upon taking office last week, Colombia’s new right-wing president, Abelardo de la Espriella, recognised Israel’s claim of sovereignty over the occupied Syrian Golan Heights. The United Nations represents the territory as part of Syria.

The approach represented a major pivot from his predecessor, leftist Gustavo Petro, who was among the region’s top critics of Israel.