John Kerry in talks for improved U.S.-Venezuela ties

ANTIGUA, Guatemala -- The United States and Venezuela have agreed to begin a dialogue with the aim of restoring ambassador-level relations and ending more than a decade of steadily deteriorating ties, Secretary of State John Kerry said yesterday.

After meeting Venezuela's foreign minister in the first cabinet-level discussion between the nations in several years, Kerry said he was hopeful a rapprochement could be achieved. The meeting, which came at Venezuela's request, took place just hours after Venezuela released from prison an American filmmaker who had been jailed on espionage charges.

Kerry thanked Foreign Minister Elias Jose Jaua for the release of Timothy Tracy and said he and his counterpart had spent about 40 minutes going over in detail areas in which the countries could cooperate.

"We would like to see our countries find a new way forward," he said after the meeting, which took place on the sidelines of the annual Organization of American States general assembly. The idea, he said, is to "begin to change the dialogue between our countries and hopefully quickly move the appointments of ambassadors between our nations."

The countries haven't had ambassadors in each other's capitals since 2010, near the height of the estrangement between the U.S. and late populist Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez, who died in March.

Chávez protege Nicolas Maduro claimed victory in the April 14 election, but his foes are contesting the results. The Obama administration has backed calls for a full recount. Maduro expelled two U.S. military attaches in March the same day Chávez died, accusing them of trying to foment instability, and Tracy's arrest came amid domestic political turmoil over the election to replace Chávez.