Venezuela and the US said on Wednesday they would restore their ambassadors, more than nine months after Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez expelled the US envoy in his final diplomatic bout with the administration of then US president George W. Bush.
But Chavez signaled he still had major differences with Washington, accusing the US of having a hand in recent protests in Iran and saying he hoped President Barack Obama would lead the US on a new path.
“I hope that Obama takes charge of dismantling the empire,” Chavez told reporters.
He added that he hoped the “United States starts to respect the world.”
US State Department spokesman Ian Kelly said in Washington that the time frame for restoring the ambassadors remained unclear, but a top Venezuelan official said the exchange would happen soon.
Chavez — a fierce opponent of US policy who once likened Bush to the devil — has expressed hope for improved relations with Washington following years of tensions with the Bush administration.
Obama says his government wants to improve ties with all countries in the Americas.
Venezuelan Foreign Minister Nicolas Maduro said the governments had agreed to overturn the “persona non grata” status given to each other's ambassadors in September, when Chavez expelled US Ambassador Patrick Duddy and recalled his envoy.
Chavez said at the time that he kicked out the ambassador to show solidarity with Bolivia after President Evo Morales ordered out the top US diplomat in his country, accusing him of helping the opposition incite violence.
Washington denied the allegation and reacted by expelling the envoys of both Venezuela and Bolivia.
Maduro said that he had spoken with Thomas Shannon, the top US diplomat for the Americas, and that they “effectively reached an agreement on the proposal” to restore ambassadors as part of an effort to improve relations.
Kelly told reporters in Washington that the two countries were “currently taking the necessary measures” to exchange ambassadors, but said it was unclear when it would happen or who the US envoy would be.
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