Caracas (OrinocoTribune.com)—Thursday, July 30, the governments of Venezuela and Chile announced the start of a plan for the progressive normalization of bilateral relations.As the first stage of the process, the two countries agreed to reactivate consular relations to guarantee protection and access to consular services for Venezuelan and Chilean citizens residing in both countries.The announcement came days after Venezuela and Peru began a similar gradual process toward restoring bilateral relations, also beginning with the reactivation of consular services.The official statement noted that the initiative is rooted in the “historic ties of friendship and Latin American solidarity” that have united Venezuela and Chile since their origins as republics.Both governments confirmed that the rapprochement will proceed through constructive dialogue based on “mutual respect, reciprocity, and complete adherence to the norms of International Law.”The statement added that the joint efforts seek to promote the development and well-being of the peoples of both countries and the wider Latin American and Caribbean region.Venezuelan community in ChileVenezuelans constitute the largest foreign-born national community in Chile, making the restoration of consular relations particularly significant for hundreds of thousands of people. On the other side, the Chilean community in Venezuela is estimated at approximately 20,000 people.The Venezuelan community in Chile has been subjected to continuous xenophobic campaigns, discriminatory treatment, and incidents of violence at both private and institutional levels.These attacks have frequently been fueled by the stigmatization of Venezuelan migration within sectors of Chilean politics and corporate media, particularly during periods of heightened right-wing and anti-migrant mobilization.Relations severed following 2024 electionAs in the case of Peru, diplomatic relations between Venezuela and Chile were severed in July 2024 following interventionist statements by the Chilean government concerning Venezuela’s presidential election.President Nicolás Maduro was reelected on July 28, 2024, for the 2025-2031 constitutional term.The Chilean government joined several regional far-right governments in questioning the results announced by Venezuela’s National Electoral Council. Caracas condemned these comments as violations of Venezuelan sovereignty.In response, the Venezuelan government ordered the complete withdrawal of Venezuelan diplomatic personnel from Chile and instructed Chilean diplomats to leave Caracas.The measure also impacted Argentina, Costa Rica, Peru, Panama, the Dominican Republic, and Uruguay after their governments issued interventionist statements challenging Venezuela’s electoral institutions.Chile had previously been a founding member of the Lima Group, established in Peru in August 2017.The US-promoted bloc was initially formed by 12 countries: Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Panama, Paraguay, and Peru.Despite presenting itself as a regional initiative seeking a negotiated solution to Venezuela’s political disputes, the Lima Group became one of the principal instruments of Washington’s failed regime-change operation against the Bolivarian Revolution.The bloc worked to isolate Venezuela diplomatically, legitimize coercive measures against the country, and support efforts to replace its constitutional government with a US-aligned administration.The normalization process with Chile follows the collapse of this strategy and Venezuela’s renewed diplomatic engagement with governments across Latin America and the Caribbean.Venezuela and Peru Reactivate Consular Relations in First Step Toward Resuming Full Diplomatic TiesThe unofficial translation of the Venezuelan statement follows:The government of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela and the government of the Republic of Chile announce the start of a roadmap for the progressive normalization of bilateral relations.In a first stage, both countries have agreed to reactivate consular relations as an initial step towards the full resumption of bilateral ties to ensure protection and consular services for their nationals residing in both sister countries.This joint initiative is based on the historic ties of friendship and Latin American solidarity that have united Venezuela and Chile since their origins as Republics and inspire their joint efforts in favor of the development and well-being of our peoples and our region.Venezuela and Chile reaffirm that this process will be based on constructive dialogue, under the principles of mutual respect, reciprocity, and complete adherence to the norms of International Law.Caracas, July 30, 2026 Special for Orinoco Tribune by staffOT/JRE/SF