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Venezuela's acting president, Delcy Rodríguez, has expressed a willingness to collaborate with the United States, marking a shift from the confrontational rhetoric she initially displayed after the capture of former dictator Nicolás Maduro.

An Announcement of Collaboration

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

Her remarks followed just hours after ex-President Donald Trump threatened that Rodríguez could "face severe consequences, probably more severe than Maduro" if she failed to comply with his wishes.

Transition of Power in the Country

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 U.S. court in Manhattan.

She was sworn in as president by the supreme court 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.

The Former President's Statements 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 added that communication had been established with Rodríguez.

On Sunday, he cautioned that the US might initiate a further action if remaining members of the government fail to comply with his plans to get the country "back on track."

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

Rodríguez's Shifting Posture

In her initial address after Maduro's detention, 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 adopted 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 extend an invitation the government of the US to collaborate on an agenda of cooperation, focused on mutual progress, within the framework of international law, and that strengthens lasting peaceful coexistence," she added.

A Direct Appeal to Trump

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

"This is the Venezuela I have faith in and to which I have devoted myself. My aspiration 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

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 died "due to the criminal and infamous attack carried out by the US government."

Previously that day, the defense chief, Gen Vladímir Padrino López, had said in a statement that US troops had "cold-bloodedly assassinated much of [Maduro’s] security detail, military personnel and non-combatants," without providing names or a death toll.