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Venezuela's interim leader, Delcy Rodríguez, has expressed a willingness to collaborate with the United States, marking a shift from the defiant rhetoric she first adopted after the capture of ousted leader Nicolás Maduro.

An Announcement of Collaboration

In a statement issued Sunday night, Rodríguez stated she had "invited the American administration to work together on an agenda of joint work."

Her remarks followed just a short time after former President Donald Trump warned that Maduro's former vice-president could "face severe consequences, potentially more severe than Maduro" if she did not bend to his wishes.

Transition of Power in Venezuela

Rodríguez has effectively been running Venezuela since Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were detained over the weekend. The couple were transported to New York and are scheduled for an appearance at a federal court in Manhattan.

She was sworn in as president by the constitutional tribunal on Saturday. The following day, the country's armed forces pledged to acknowledge her leadership, while simultaneously calling for the prompt liberation of Maduro and his wife.

The Former President's Statements and Strategy

Following the shocking capture of Maduro, Trump claimed that the United States would now "run" Venezuela "until we can do a safe, proper and judicious transition." He also mentioned that communication had been made with Rodríguez.

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

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

Rodríguez's Shifting Posture

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

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

"We extend an invitation the United States government to collaborate on an cooperative agenda, focused on shared development, within the framework of global norms, and that strengthens lasting peaceful coexistence," she stated.

A Direct Appeal to Trump

Speaking to the American ex-president directly, she said: "Mr. Trump: our nations and our region are entitled to dialogue and peace, not war. That has consistently been President Nicolás Maduro’s conviction and it is that of the entire nation at this moment."

"This is the Venezuela 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 sovereignty, development, peace, and a prosperous future," she concluded.

Contrasting Messages

Alongside the cooperative language, the administration – and Rodríguez herself, via her social media channel – later honored several dozen "Cuban security personnel" who were part of Maduro’s personal security 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, soldiers and non-combatants," without providing names or a death toll.