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

An Announcement of Collaboration

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

Her comments came just hours after ex-President Donald Trump threatened that Maduro's former vice-president could "face severe consequences, potentially bigger 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 detained on Saturday. The couple were transported to New York and are due to appear at a U.S. court in Manhattan.

She was formally inaugurated as acting president by the constitutional tribunal on Saturday. The next day, the country's armed forces agreed to recognise her authority, while simultaneously calling for the immediate release of Maduro and his wife.

Trump's Statements and Approach

Following the shocking capture of Maduro, Trump claimed that the United States would now "manage" Venezuela "until such time as we can execute a safe, proper and judicious transition." He also mentioned that communication had been made with Rodríguez.

On Sunday, he cautioned that the US might initiate 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 effectively marginalized the nation's political opposition, lead by Nobel laureate María Corina Machado. This strategy has been broadly condemned by observers who argue that the regime's power structure remains largely intact – just without Maduro at its head.

The Leader's Shifting Posture

In her initial address after Maduro's capture, Rodríguez first adopted 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 work jointly on an agenda of cooperation, focused on shared development, within the framework of global norms, and that promotes enduring peace," she added.

An Open Appeal to Trump

Addressing the former US president directly, she said: "President Donald 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 believe 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 concluded.

Contrasting Messages

Alongside the cooperative language, the Venezuelan government – and Rodríguez herself, via her official channel – later paid tribute to several dozen "Cuban security personnel" who were part of Maduro’s personal security 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 said in a statement 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.