Relationship dossier
Dominican Republic
Venezuela
Relationship assessment
Energy cooperation has given way to sharper political and travel-related tensions.
Dominican Republic toward Venezuela
-10The Dominican Republic participated in Petrocaribe, a Venezuelan-led oil cooperation arrangement. In 2019, it recognized Juan Guaidó as Venezuela’s interim president, and in 2024 it joined calls for the Venezuelan government to disclose election results, contributing to political tensions.
Venezuela toward Dominican Republic
-10Venezuela supplied oil to the Dominican Republic through Petrocaribe. In 2024, Venezuela suspended commercial flights to the Dominican Republic amid a dispute following Venezuela’s presidential election.
Overall relationship
-10Petrocaribe provided a durable basis for energy cooperation, while disputes over Venezuelan political legitimacy and the 2024 election have strained relations. The bilateral picture is mixed, with significant earlier cooperation alongside more recent confrontational measures.
How to read these scores
Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.
- −100
- Extreme sustained hostility
- −50
- Substantially adversarial
- 0
- Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
- +50
- Substantially cooperative
- +100
- Exceptionally close sustained partnership
“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.
Relationship context
Overview
The relationship has combined substantial energy cooperation through Petrocaribe with later political friction. The Dominican Republic’s support for opposition claims to Venezuela’s presidency and its criticism of the 2024 Venezuelan election contrasted with Venezuela’s suspension of flights to the Dominican Republic amid the post-election dispute.
Areas of tension
- Disagreement over the legitimacy of Venezuela’s presidential leadership and election results.
- Venezuela’s suspension of commercial flights to the Dominican Republic in 2024.
Key developments
Venezuela and the Dominican Republic participated in Petrocaribe, which supplied Venezuelan oil to participating Caribbean states on preferential terms.
The Dominican Republic recognized Juan Guaidó as Venezuela’s interim president.
Venezuela suspended commercial flights to the Dominican Republic amid tensions following the Venezuelan presidential election.
Major uncertainties
- The extent to which Petrocaribe cooperation continued after its earlier years is unclear.
- The duration and practical effects of Venezuela’s 2024 flight suspension are unclear.