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Venezuela's interim leader, Delcy Rodríguez, has expressed a willingness to collaborate with the US government, dialing back from the confrontational rhetoric she first adopted after the capture of former dictator Nicolás Maduro.

A Statement of Collaboration

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

Her comments followed just hours after ex-President Donald Trump warned that Rodríguez could "face severe consequences, potentially bigger than Maduro" if she failed to comply with his wishes.

Transition of Power in Venezuela

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

She was formally inaugurated as acting president by the constitutional tribunal on Saturday. The following day, the military leadership pledged to acknowledge her leadership, while simultaneously calling for the immediate release of Maduro and his wife.

The Former President's Comments and Strategy

Following the surprising apprehension of Maduro, Trump claimed that the United States would now "run" Venezuela "until we can execute 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 government do not cooperate with his efforts to get the country "fixed."

Trump's actions have entirely sidelined the nation's political opposition, headed by Nobel prizewinner María Corina Machado. This strategy has been widely criticised by analysts who argue that the regime's power structure remains largely intact – just without Maduro at its head.

Rodríguez's Shifting Posture

In her initial address after Maduro's detention, Rodríguez initially struck a defiant tone, proclaiming that Venezuela would "not ever be any other nation'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 priority.

"We extend an invitation the government of the US to collaborate on an agenda of cooperation, aimed at shared development, within the framework of international law, and that promotes lasting peaceful coexistence," she added.

An Open Address to Trump

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

"This nation I believe in and to which I have devoted myself. My dream is for Venezuela to become a great power where all decent Venezuelans can come together. Venezuela has the right to sovereignty, development, peace, and a prosperous future," she added.

Contrasting Signals

Alongside the cooperative language, the administration – and Rodríguez herself, via her social media channel – later paid tribute to several dozen "Cuban combatants" 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."

Earlier on Sunday, the defence minister, Gen Vladímir Padrino López, had stated that US troops had "cold-bloodedly assassinated much of [Maduro’s] protection team, soldiers and innocent civilians," without providing names or a death toll.