Delcy Rodríguez Adopts a Cooperative Stance Toward the US After Donald Trump's Warning

Venezuela's acting president, Delcy Rodríguez, has offered to work with the United States, marking a shift from the defiant posture she initially displayed after the capture of ousted leader Nicolás Maduro.

A Statement of Cooperation

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

Her comments followed just a short time after former President Donald Trump warned that Maduro's former vice-president could "face severe consequences, potentially more severe than Maduro" if she failed to comply with 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 taken to New York and are due to appear at a federal court in Manhattan.

She was formally inaugurated as president by the constitutional tribunal on Saturday. The following day, the country's armed forces pledged to acknowledge her authority, while still demanding the immediate release of Maduro and his wife.

Trump's Comments and Approach

Following the surprising apprehension of Maduro, Trump claimed that the United States would now "run" Venezuela "until such time as we can execute a orderly and lawful transition." He also mentioned that contact had been established 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 "fixed."

Trump's actions have entirely sidelined the nation's political opposition, lead by Nobel prizewinner María Corina Machado. This tactic has been widely criticised by analysts who argue that the regime's power structure remains largely intact – simply without Maduro at its helm.

The Leader's Shifting Position

In her first public appearance after Maduro's detention, Rodríguez initially struck a stance of resistance, proclaiming that Venezuela would "not ever be anyone's colony."

However, on Sunday night, after presiding over a government meeting, she struck a significantly more cooperative stance. Rodríguez released a message stating she considered a "balanced and respectful relationship" with the United States to be a priority.

"We invite the United States government to collaborate on an cooperative agenda, aimed at mutual progress, within the confines of international law, and that promotes enduring peace," she stated.

An Open Appeal to Trump

Addressing the American ex-president directly, she wrote: "Mr. Trump: our peoples and our region deserve dialogue and peace, not war. That has always been President Nicolás Maduro’s belief and it is that of the entire nation at this juncture."

"This nation I believe in and to which I have dedicated my life. My dream is for Venezuela to become a significant nation where all decent Venezuelans can come together. Venezuela has the right to sovereignty, development, peace, and a prosperous future," she concluded.

Contradictory Messages

Alongside the cooperative language, the administration – and Rodríguez herself, via her social media channel – later paid tribute to several dozen "Cuban security personnel" who were part of Maduro’s personal security and who died "as a consequence of the unlawful and reprehensible 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] protection team, military personnel and non-combatants," without providing names or a death toll.