Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro challenged his US counterpart Barack Obama on Friday to hold "high-level dialogue" between their governments and proposed to appoint an ambassador to Washington.
The sudden announcement was surprising given that relations between Washington and Caracas soured under Maduro's predecessor, the late Hugo Chavez, and have only worsened since his death in March 2013.
"I call a dialogue with you, President Obama... between the patriotic and revolutionary Venezuela and the United States and its government. Accept the challenge and we will start a high-level dialogue and put the truth on the table," Maduro told foreign reporters.
The president said he had granted "special powers" to Venezuelan Foreign Minister Elias Jaua to oversee bilateral dialogue and restore ties to ambassadorial level for the first time in more than three years.
He nominated senior diplomat Roy Chaderton, Venezuela's current envoy to the Organization of American States, to serve as ambassador to Washington.
Venezuela and the United States have not had ambassadors in each other's countries since late 2010, and Caracas has expelled eight US diplomats over the past year, including three last week.
Chaderton had been nominated as Venezuelan ambassador to the United States prior to the diplomatic standoff that saw envoys kicked out of both countries.
"What we want is peace with the United States, respect, cooperation," Maduro said in urging Obama to also appoint a negotiator to talks.
"We love the American people, we admire their culture, their music."
Maduro however referred extensively during the press conference to the countries' differences, which have widened during a wave of deadly opposition protests rattling the leading OPEC member since early February. At least eight people have died in the violence.
The Venezuelan president, whose government claims opposition leaders are in Washington's pay, accuses the United States of plotting his overthrow.
US agencies "have given the green light for the overthrow of the government that I lead," Maduro said, urging Obama to show that he can "initiate a change in policy, at least in Latin America and the Caribbean."
Maduro said he would designate Jaua to any talks with the United States, urging Obama to appoint Secretary of State John Kerry or "whoever."
But the Venezuelan leader also recognized that any dialogue between the longtime foes would be "difficult, complex."
"President Barack Obama, now is the time for the ruling elites in the United States to feel the same when it comes to talking face to face, on equal terms, with the revolutionary movement in Latin America," he said.
Despite the political tensions, the United States is the largest customer of oil from Venezuela, which has the largest proven oil reserves in the world.
There was no immediate response from the United States to Maduro's proposal.
