Restoration of US-Cuba Relations May Improve Dialogue With Venezuela

Washington hopes that a restoration of diplomatic relations with Cuba will contribute to a stronger dialogue between the United States and Venezuela and to putting an end to the hostilities in Colombia, US State Secretary John Kerry said.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — On Monday, the United States and Cuba officially reestablished full diplomatic ties by reopening embassies in the countries’ capitals.

"That’s our objective. We hope to continue the dialogue with Venezuela. We hope that our diplomatic relations with Cuba can encourage not only greater dialogue with Venezuela but perhaps even efforts to try to help Colombia to end its more than 50-years war and perhaps even other initiatives," Kerry said at a joint press conference with Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez on Monday.

Kerry added that although the sides are not overflown with an "excessive optimism about where we will find this capacity," they are going to look for it.

Relations between Venezuela and the United States have been tense since socialist Hugo Chavez was elected president in 1999. Since 2010, the countries have refused to exchange ambassadors, and in 2014 Caracas ordered three US diplomats to leave the country, suspecting them of promoting violence.

Colombian armed forces have been fighting FARC, the Colombian Communist Party military wing and the country’s largest rebel group, since 1964. The two sides have been holding peace talks in Cuba since 2012.