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The nation's acting president, Delcy Rodríguez, has expressed a willingness to collaborate with the US government, dialing back from the defiant posture she initially displayed after the capture of former dictator Nicolás Maduro.

A Statement of Collaboration

In a statement released late Sunday, Rodríguez declared she had "extended an invitation to the US government to work together on an agenda of joint work."

Her comments followed just a short time after former President Donald Trump threatened that Maduro's former vice-president could "pay a very big price, probably more severe than Maduro" if she failed to comply with his demands.

Transition of Power in the Country

Rodríguez has assumed de facto control of Venezuela since Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were captured on Saturday. The couple were transported to New York and are scheduled for an appearance at a U.S. court in Manhattan.

She was formally inaugurated as acting president by the constitutional tribunal on Saturday. The next day, the country's armed forces agreed to recognise her leadership, while simultaneously calling for the immediate release of Maduro and his wife.

Trump's Comments and Approach

Following the shocking capture of Maduro, Trump stated that the United States would now "manage" Venezuela "until we can do a orderly and lawful transition." He also added that communication had been established with Rodríguez.

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

Trump's actions have entirely sidelined the country's democratic opposition, headed by Nobel laureate María Corina Machado. This tactic has been widely criticised by analysts who argue that the regime's power structure remains largely intact – simply without Maduro at its head.

Rodríguez's Evolving Position

In her initial address after Maduro's detention, Rodríguez first adopted a defiant tone, proclaiming that Venezuela would "never again be anyone's colony."

However, on Sunday night, after presiding over a government meeting, she struck a significantly more conciliatory tone. Rodríguez issued a communication stating she considered a "balanced and respectful relationship" with the United States to be a key objective.

"We extend an invitation 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.

An Open Appeal to Trump

Speaking to the former US president directly, she wrote: "Mr. Trump: our peoples and our hemisphere deserve peace and dialogue, not war. That has always been President Nicolás Maduro’s belief and it is that of all Venezuela at this moment."

"This nation I have faith in and to which I have devoted myself. My dream is for Venezuela to become a great power where all patriotic Venezuelans can unite. Venezuela has the inherent right to peace, development, sovereignty and a future," she added.

Contrasting Signals

Alongside the cooperative language, the administration – and Rodríguez herself, via her official channel – later paid tribute to several dozen "Cuban security personnel" who were part of Maduro’s personal security and who perished "as a consequence of the criminal and infamous attack carried out by the United States."

Previously that day, the defence minister, 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.