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The nation's interim leader, Delcy Rodríguez, has expressed a willingness to collaborate with the US government, marking a shift from the confrontational posture she first adopted after the apprehension of former dictator Nicolás Maduro.

An Announcement of Cooperation

In a statement released late Sunday, Rodríguez stated she had "invited the American administration to work together on an framework of cooperation."

Her remarks followed just hours after former President Donald Trump threatened that Rodríguez could "pay a very big price, potentially bigger than Maduro" if she failed to comply with his demands.

Leadership Shift in the Country

Rodríguez has assumed de facto control of Venezuela since Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were captured on Saturday. The couple 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 agreed to recognise her authority, while simultaneously calling for 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 "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 warned that the US might launch a further action if remaining members of the administration fail to comply with his plans to get the country "back on track."

Trump's move have entirely sidelined the nation's political opposition, headed by Nobel laureate María Corina Machado. This tactic has been broadly condemned by observers who argue that the regime's power structure remains largely intact – simply without Maduro at its helm.

Rodríguez's Shifting Posture

In her first public appearance after Maduro's capture, Rodríguez initially struck a defiant tone, proclaiming that Venezuela would "never again be anyone's colony."

However, on Sunday night, after chairing her first cabinet meeting, she adopted 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 invite the United States government to collaborate on an cooperative agenda, focused on mutual progress, within the confines of global norms, and that promotes enduring peace," she added.

An Open Appeal to Trump

Addressing the former US president directly, she said: "Mr. Trump: our nations and our region are entitled to peace and dialogue, not war. That has consistently been President Nicolás Maduro’s belief and it is that of the entire nation 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 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 security personnel" who were part of Maduro’s security detail and who died "due to 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 "summarily executed much of [Maduro’s] security detail, soldiers and non-combatants," without providing names or a death toll.