US Embassy Functions Move to Marriott Hotel in Caracas, Venezuela

The J.W. Marriott hotel in Caracas has been repurposed as an improvised base for U.S. diplomatic activities after the United States captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in January. With the official embassy building, vacant since 2019, undergoing renovations, American diplomats have been housed in several suites of the hotel, using the top floor as temporary residence.

Diplomats, including chief envoy John Barrett, conduct business from the hotel, meeting with Venezuelan oil magnates and New York financiers. Their mobility remains severely restricted; staff are allowed to travel only a few blocks from the Marriott and are prohibited from moving freely throughout the capital.

The arrangement highlights the strained U.S.-Venezuela relations and the challenges of operating a diplomatic mission in a country facing sanctions and political turmoil.