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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 apprehension of ousted leader Nicolás Maduro.

A Statement of Cooperation

In a statement released late Sunday, Rodríguez stated she had "invited the US government to cooperate on an agenda of joint work."

Her remarks followed just a short time after ex-President Donald Trump warned that Rodríguez could "pay a very big price, probably bigger than Maduro" if she failed to comply with his wishes.

Transition of Power in Venezuela

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 U.S. court in Manhattan.

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

The Former President's Comments and Strategy

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

On Sunday, he cautioned that the US might initiate a second strike if holdouts of the government do not cooperate with his efforts to get the country "fixed."

Trump's actions have entirely sidelined the country's democratic opposition, lead by Nobel laureate María Corina Machado. This tactic has been widely criticised by observers who contend that the regime's power structure remains mostly unchanged – simply without Maduro at its helm.

Rodríguez's Evolving Posture

In her first public appearance after Maduro's capture, Rodríguez initially struck a stance of resistance, proclaiming that Venezuela would "never again be any other nation's colony."

However, on Sunday night, after presiding over a government meeting, she struck 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 United States government to work jointly on an agenda of cooperation, focused on shared development, within the framework of international law, and that strengthens lasting peaceful coexistence," she stated.

A Direct Appeal to Trump

Speaking to the former US president directly, she said: "Mr. Trump: our nations and our hemisphere are entitled to peace and dialogue, not war. That has consistently been President Nicolás Maduro’s conviction and it is that of all Venezuela at this juncture."

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

Contrasting Signals

Despite the conciliatory tone, the administration – and Rodríguez herself, via her social media channel – later honored 32 "Cuban security personnel" who were part of Maduro’s personal security and who perished "due to the criminal and infamous attack carried out by the US government."

Earlier on Sunday, 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.