Panama and Venezuela to restore consular services in each other’s countries

PANAMA CITY — After nearly a year of strained relations, Panama and Venezuela have agreed to restore consular services in each other’s countries, according to a statement from Panama’s Foreign Affairs Ministry on Thursday.

The decision to reactivate consular services was made to address the urgent needs of their citizens, the ministry noted.

The rift between the two countries began in July 2024 when Panama withdrew its diplomats from Caracas and suspended relations with Venezuela following disputed elections that saw President Nicolás Maduro reelected amidst allegations of fraud.

Panama’s President José Raúl Mulino openly supported the Venezuelan opposition candidate Edmundo González Urrutia, further straining diplomatic ties.

As a result of the diplomatic fallout, Venezuela suspended flights between the two countries, including those operated by Panamanian airline Copa Airlines. However, flights were resumed on May 22 this year.

While Panama had previously pushed for Venezuela to accept migrants from Panama heading south, this issue was not addressed in the recent agreement to restore consular services.