Weekly Report - 16 July 2026 (WR-26-28)

The Washington-oriented nature of Venezuela’s new foreign policy was evident in the 13 July replacement of the foreign minister, Yván Gil, who had been in the role since 2023. Gil was replaced by one of his predecessors, Félix Plasencia, who was foreign minister from 2021-2022 and since February this year had been serving as Venezuela’s diplomatic representative in Washington. Maintaining a strong working relationship with the US will be Plasencia’s primary focus.