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The nation's acting president, Delcy Rodríguez, has offered to work with the US government, marking a shift from the confrontational rhetoric she first adopted after the apprehension of former dictator Nicolás Maduro.

A Statement of Collaboration

In a message released late Sunday, Rodríguez declared she had "invited the US government to work together on an agenda of joint work."

Her comments came just a short time after ex-President Donald Trump warned that Rodríguez could "pay a very big price, probably more severe than Maduro" if she did not bend to his demands.

Leadership Shift in the Country

Rodríguez has effectively been running Venezuela since Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were captured on Saturday. The pair were transported to New York and are scheduled for an appearance at a federal court in Manhattan.

She was sworn in as acting president by the supreme court on Saturday. The next day, the military leadership pledged to acknowledge her authority, while still demanding the immediate release of Maduro and his wife.

The Former President's Statements and Approach

Following the surprising apprehension of Maduro, Trump claimed 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 second strike if remaining members of the government do not cooperate with his efforts to get the country "back on track."

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

The Leader's Shifting Posture

In her first public appearance after Maduro's detention, Rodríguez first adopted a defiant tone, proclaiming that Venezuela would "never again be anyone'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 work jointly on an cooperative agenda, aimed at mutual progress, within the framework of international law, and that strengthens lasting peaceful coexistence," she added.

A Direct Address to Trump

Speaking to the former US 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 belief and it is that of the entire nation at this moment."

"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 patriotic Venezuelans can unite. Venezuela has the inherent right to peace, development, sovereignty and a future," she added.

Contrasting Messages

Alongside the cooperative language, the Venezuelan government – and Rodríguez herself, via her social media channel – later honored 32 "Cuban combatants" who were part of Maduro’s security detail and who perished "as a consequence of the criminal and infamous attack carried out by the United States."

Previously that day, the defence minister, Gen Vladímir Padrino López, had stated that US troops had "cold-bloodedly assassinated much of [Maduro’s] security detail, soldiers and non-combatants," without providing names or a death toll.