The Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on Thursday that Chile's consulates in Caracas and Puerto Ordaz, a city in eastern Venezuela, will gradually resume operations starting on Monday, October 19. Both offices had been closed since January 2025, when diplomatic relations between the two countries were suspended.
According to La Tercera, the reopening is part of the "progressive normalization" of bilateral relations promised by President José Antonio Kast's administration. Foreign Minister Francisco Pérez Mackenna led the announcement.
Services will resume in two stages. From October 19, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will begin handing over passports to Chileans residing in Venezuela and open appointment bookings for consular services.
From Monday, October 26, applications for passports and identity cards will be available. Notarial services will also be available, including travel authorizations, powers of attorney, mandates, public deeds, sworn statements and letters of authorization, along with the registration of births, deaths, marriages and civil unions.
For the Chilean community in Venezuela, the change has practical consequences. For nearly two years, they had no consular office in the country where they could renew documents, register their children or authorize a minor's travel. According to the government, the community numbers more than 25 thousand people.
"This is very good news. Opening these consulates will allow us to provide protection and services to the more than 25,000 Chileans living in Venezuela. We are fulfilling a commitment we made to Chileans," Pérez Mackenna said.
The foreign minister added that the measure is "another concrete step on the roadmap toward the full normalization of relations between Chile and Venezuela." The sources do not specify whether Caracas will reciprocate or whether Venezuelan consulates in Chile will reopen. Nor do they specify whether new services will be available for Venezuelans living in Chile, the country's largest migrant community.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has not announced a timetable for reinstating ambassadors or taking other diplomatic steps. For now, the confirmed date is October 26, when both consulates will offer their full range of services.
