Venezuela's Acting Leader Adopts a Cooperative Stance Toward the United States Following Trump's Threat

The nation's interim leader, Delcy Rodríguez, has expressed a willingness to collaborate with the US government, marking a shift from the confrontational rhetoric she initially displayed after the apprehension of ousted leader Nicolás Maduro.

An Announcement of Cooperation

In a message issued Sunday night, Rodríguez declared she had "extended an invitation to the American administration to cooperate on an agenda of joint work."

Her remarks came just a short time after ex-President Donald Trump threatened that Rodríguez could "pay a very big price, probably bigger than Maduro" if she failed to comply with 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 couple were taken 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 following day, the military leadership agreed to recognise her leadership, while still demanding the prompt liberation 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 do a orderly and lawful transition." He also added that contact had been established with Rodríguez.

On Sunday, he warned that the US might initiate a further action if remaining members of the administration fail to comply with his plans to get the country "fixed."

Trump's actions have entirely sidelined the country's democratic opposition, headed by Nobel laureate María Corina Machado. This tactic has been broadly condemned by analysts who contend that the regime's power structure remains mostly unchanged – just without Maduro at its helm.

The Leader's Evolving Position

In her initial address after Maduro's detention, Rodríguez initially struck a defiant tone, declaring that Venezuela would "not ever be anyone's colony."

However, on Sunday night, after presiding over a government meeting, she adopted a markedly more cooperative stance. Rodríguez released a message stating she considered a "stable and mutual relationship" with the United States to be a key objective.

"We extend an invitation the government of the US to work jointly on an agenda of cooperation, focused on mutual progress, within the confines of global norms, 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 dialogue and peace, not war. That has consistently been President Nicolás Maduro’s belief and it is that of all Venezuela at this moment."

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

Contradictory Signals

Alongside the cooperative language, the administration – and Rodríguez herself, via her official channel – later honored 32 "Cuban combatants" who were part of Maduro’s personal security and who died "due to the criminal and infamous attack carried out by the US government."

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