🔗 Share this article

The nation's acting president, Delcy Rodríguez, has offered to work with the United States, dialing back from the defiant rhetoric she first adopted after the apprehension of former dictator Nicolás Maduro.

A Statement of Cooperation

In a message issued Sunday night, Rodríguez declared she had "extended an invitation to the American administration to work together on an framework of cooperation."

Her remarks followed just hours after ex-President Donald Trump warned that Rodríguez could "face severe consequences, probably more severe than Maduro" if she did not bend to 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 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 supreme court on Saturday. The next day, the military leadership pledged to acknowledge her authority, while simultaneously calling for the prompt liberation of Maduro and his wife.

Trump's Statements and Approach

Following the surprising apprehension of Maduro, Trump claimed that the United States would now "run" Venezuela "until such time as we can do a orderly and lawful transition." He also added that communication had been made with Rodríguez.

On Sunday, he cautioned that the US might initiate a second strike if remaining members of the government do not cooperate with his efforts to get the country "fixed."

Trump's move have entirely sidelined the country's democratic opposition, lead by Nobel prizewinner María Corina Machado. This strategy 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 first public appearance after Maduro's capture, Rodríguez initially struck a defiant tone, proclaiming that Venezuela would "not ever be anyone's colony."

However, on Sunday night, after chairing her first cabinet meeting, she struck a significantly 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 shared development, within the framework of international law, and that promotes enduring peace," she added.

An Open Appeal to Trump

Speaking to the former US president directly, she wrote: "Mr. Trump: our nations 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 juncture."

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

Contrasting Messages

Despite the conciliatory tone, the administration – and Rodríguez herself, via her official channel – later honored 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."

Earlier on Sunday, the defence minister, Gen Vladímir Padrino López, had stated that US troops had "cold-bloodedly assassinated much of [Maduro’s] security detail, military personnel and innocent civilians," without offering specific details or a confirmed count.