DR ‹ › Two months after presenting his credentials to Abdelmadjid Tebboune, Venezuela's ambassador to Algeria, Imad Saab Saab, visited the Tindouf camps to also present his credentials as his country's ambassador to the Polisario Front. Following his meeting with the Polisario leader, Brahim Ghali, the Venezuelan diplomat told the media that their discussions covered «the relationship between Venezuela and the Sahrawi Republic, as well as the geopolitical situation and developments in Venezuela». Saab also met with the Polisario Front's «foreign minister», Mohamed Salem Beissat, stressing that talks focused on «diplomatic, cultural, and historical relations and the areas of cooperation between the two countries». The move by Caracas comes at a highly unusual time in its political history. In January 2026, the U.S. administration arrested Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife on charges related to drug trafficking and terrorism, leading to their trial in U.S. courts. In the wake of these events, Maduro's vice president, Delcy Rodríguez, became interim president and has shown a more open stance toward the United States, which is urging Caracas to shift its oil relations away from traditional partners such as China and Russia. Meanwhile, the Polisario Front is also navigating a sensitive phase under pressure from Washington to enter negotiations with Morocco based on the autonomy proposal to resolve the Western Sahara conflict.
