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The nation's interim leader, Delcy Rodríguez, has offered to work with the US government, dialing back from the defiant rhetoric she initially displayed after the apprehension of ousted leader Nicolás Maduro.

A Statement of Collaboration

In a message released late Sunday, Rodríguez declared she had "invited the US government to cooperate on an framework of cooperation."

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

Leadership Shift in Venezuela

Rodríguez has effectively been running Venezuela since Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were detained over the weekend. The pair were taken to New York and are due to appear at a federal court in Manhattan.

She was formally inaugurated as president by the constitutional tribunal on Saturday. The following day, the military leadership agreed to recognise her authority, while still demanding the immediate release of Maduro and his wife.

Trump's Comments and Strategy

Following the shocking capture of Maduro, Trump stated that the United States would now "manage" Venezuela "until such time as we can execute 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 plans to get the country "back on track."

Trump's actions have effectively marginalized the country's democratic opposition, headed by Nobel laureate María Corina Machado. This tactic has been broadly condemned by observers who argue that the existing power framework remains mostly unchanged – just without Maduro at its helm.

The Leader's Evolving Posture

In her initial address after Maduro's capture, Rodríguez first adopted a defiant tone, declaring that Venezuela would "not ever be any other nation's colony."

However, on Sunday night, after presiding over a government meeting, she struck a markedly more cooperative stance. Rodríguez issued a communication stating she considered a "stable and mutual relationship" with the United States to be a priority.

"We invite the government of the US to collaborate on an cooperative agenda, aimed at shared development, within the framework of global norms, and that promotes enduring peace," she stated.

An Open Appeal to Trump

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

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

Contrasting Messages

Despite the conciliatory tone, the Venezuelan government – and Rodríguez herself, via her official channel – later honored 32 "Cuban security personnel" who were part of Maduro’s security detail and who perished "due to the criminal and infamous attack carried out by the US government."

Previously that day, the defence minister, Gen Vladímir Padrino López, had said in a statement that US troops had "cold-bloodedly assassinated much of [Maduro’s] protection team, military personnel and non-combatants," without offering specific details or a confirmed count.