VENEZUELA’S new government is currently engaged in some fresh diplomatic efforts, including with Washington, even as it continues to cope with strong political challenges over the results of last month’s controversial presidential poll.

And seemingly determined to reaffirm the necessity for good relations with its sprawling border neighbour Guyana, President Nicolas Maduro is sending his Foreign Minister, Elias Jaua Milano today for bilateral talks with  Foreign Affairs Minister, Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett.

The one-day visit is occurring as President Maduro pursues arrangements for conclusion of an opposition-inspired audit of last month’s presidential poll which he won with less than a two percent majority.
At the same time, he is moving to address the prevailing chill in Washington-Caracas diplomatic relations—a throwback to the 14 years of administrations in Caracas under the presidency of Hugo Chavez, who died last March from cancer.
President Maduro had signalled, on the occasion of his inauguration last month, the need for fresh cooperation approaches with Washington.
His administration has since appointed lawmaker Calixto Ortega as new Charge d’Affaires at Venezuela’s Embassy in Washington. The move has been welcomed by US State Department spokesman Patrick Ventrell, who said that the Venezuelan diplomat “is known as a respected participant”.
However, in contrast to the rapidity of standard diplomatic recognition that overwhelmingly came from Latin American and Caribbean  countries, as well as nations in Africa, Asia and Europe—including Britain—President Barack Obama’s administration is yet to officially recognise the presidency of Chavez’s anointed successor, Maduro.
In the case of Guyana, prior to the successive administrations headed by President Hugo Chavez, it had to often cope with hostile interventions from Venezuela, rooted in a colonial-era claim to a large portion of its 83,000 square miles territory that includes the mineral-rich Essequibo region.        
While in Guyana, Foreign Minister Milano will today participate in the ceremonial inauguration of a rehabilitation centre for homeless persons, funded by the Venezuelan government at a cost of US$2M.               
Named after the late Venezuelan President, the “Hugo Chavez Centre for Rehabilitation and Reintegration” would cater, at any one time, to the needs of some 180 homeless women and men, in separate dormitories, and with medical, cooking and recreational facilities.
The Guyana Foreign Minister, who was in Caracas last month for President Maduro’s inauguration, said that her government is quite appreciative of the “satisfactory relations” that exist between their countries.
She has noted that both are members of the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR) as well as the wider Community of Latin American and Caribbean States CELAC).
For its part, the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), which continues to maintain good relations with Venezuela—strengthened during the Chavez presidency—could now be moving to signal official interest in an early meeting with President Maduro’s administration to discuss, as a matter of urgency, proposed new arrangements in the functioning of the Petro-Caribe project that remains vital to beneficiary partner states.