On Aug. 11, Israel and Venezuela announced that they would restore consular relations and establish an official coordination channel, 17 years after Hugo Chavez expelled Israel’s ambassador during the Gaza war. Foreign Minister Felix Plasencia and his Israeli counterpart, Gideon Sa’ar, presented the agreement as an outgrowth of Israel’s humanitarian aid mission following the June 24 earthquakes, which killed more than 6,000 Venezuelans.
But the agreement is about much more than consular affairs — or even Israel. For acting President Delcy Rodriguez, who was installed after the United States captured Nicolas Maduro in January, foreign policy has become an instrument of regime survival. Her government has pursued a series of concessions that reduce Venezuela’s isolation without requiring meaningful political liberalization. The strategy is straightforward: become more useful to Washington without becoming more accountable at home.
