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The nation's interim leader, Delcy Rodríguez, has expressed a willingness to collaborate with the United States, dialing back from the confrontational rhetoric she first adopted after the capture of ousted leader Nicolás Maduro.

A Statement of Collaboration

In a message released late Sunday, Rodríguez stated she had "invited the US government to cooperate on an agenda of joint work."

Her remarks followed just a short time after former President Donald Trump threatened that Rodríguez could "pay a very big price, probably more severe than Maduro" if she did not bend to his demands.

Transition of Power in the Country

Rodríguez has assumed de facto control of Venezuela since Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were detained on Saturday. The pair were taken to New York and are due to appear at a federal court in Manhattan.

She was sworn in as acting president by the constitutional tribunal on Saturday. The following day, the country's armed forces agreed to recognise her leadership, while still demanding the immediate release of Maduro and his wife.

The Former President's Comments and Strategy

Following the surprising apprehension of Maduro, Trump stated that the United States would now "manage" Venezuela "until such time as we can do a orderly and lawful transition." He also mentioned that contact had been established with Rodríguez.

On Sunday, he cautioned that the US might initiate a second strike if remaining members of the government fail to comply with his efforts to get the country "fixed."

Trump's actions have effectively marginalized the nation's political opposition, lead by Nobel laureate María Corina Machado. This tactic has been widely criticised by observers who argue that the regime's power structure remains mostly unchanged – simply without Maduro at its head.

The Leader's Shifting Position

In her initial address after Maduro's capture, Rodríguez initially struck a stance of resistance, declaring that Venezuela would "never again be any other nation's colony."

However, on Sunday night, after chairing her first cabinet meeting, she struck a significantly more conciliatory tone. Rodríguez issued a communication stating she considered a "stable and mutual relationship" with the United States to be a key objective.

"We invite the government of the US to work jointly on an cooperative agenda, aimed at shared development, within the confines of global norms, and that strengthens enduring peace," she stated.

A Direct Appeal to Trump

Addressing the American ex-president directly, she wrote: "Mr. Trump: our peoples and our region are entitled to peace and dialogue, not war. That has consistently been President Nicolás Maduro’s belief and it is that of all Venezuela at this juncture."

"This nation I believe in and to which I have dedicated my life. My dream is for Venezuela to become a significant nation where all patriotic Venezuelans can come together. Venezuela has the inherent right to sovereignty, development, peace, and a prosperous future," she concluded.

Contradictory Signals

Despite the conciliatory tone, the administration – and Rodríguez herself, via her social media channel – later paid tribute to several dozen "Cuban combatants" who were part of Maduro’s security detail and who perished "as a consequence of the criminal and infamous attack carried out by the US government."

Earlier on Sunday, the defense chief, Gen Vladímir Padrino López, had stated that US troops had "cold-bloodedly assassinated much of [Maduro’s] protection team, military personnel and innocent civilians," without offering specific details or a confirmed count.