Venezuela's acting president, Delcy Rodríguez, has offered to work with the United States, marking a shift from the defiant rhetoric she first adopted after the apprehension of former dictator Nicolás Maduro.
An Announcement of Collaboration
In a message issued Sunday night, Rodríguez stated she had "extended an invitation to the American administration to cooperate on an agenda of cooperation."
Her remarks followed just hours after ex-President Donald Trump threatened that Rodríguez could "pay a very big price, potentially bigger than Maduro" if she did not bend to his wishes.
Transition of Power in the Country
Rodríguez has assumed de facto control of Venezuela since Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were detained over the weekend. The pair were taken to New York and are due to appear at a federal court in Manhattan.
She was sworn in as president by the supreme court 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.
The Former President's Comments and Strategy
Following the shocking capture of Maduro, Trump claimed that the United States would now "run" Venezuela "until such time as we can do a safe, proper and judicious transition." He also mentioned that contact had been made with Rodríguez.
On Sunday, he warned that the US might initiate a second strike if holdouts of the government fail to comply with his plans to get the country "fixed."
Trump's actions have effectively marginalized the nation's political opposition, headed by Nobel laureate María Corina Machado. This tactic has been broadly condemned by analysts who contend that the existing power framework remains largely intact – simply without Maduro at its head.
The Leader's Evolving Posture
In her initial address after Maduro's capture, 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 adopted a significantly more conciliatory tone. Rodríguez issued a communication 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 collaborate on an cooperative agenda, aimed at mutual progress, within the confines of global norms, and that promotes enduring peace," she added.
An Open Address to Trump
Addressing the American ex-president directly, she wrote: "President Donald Trump: our peoples and our region are entitled to peace and dialogue, not war. That has always been President Nicolás Maduro’s belief and it is that of the entire nation at this moment."
"This nation I have faith in and to which I have dedicated my life. My dream 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 added.
Contradictory Messages
Despite the conciliatory tone, the administration – and Rodríguez herself, via her official channel – later paid tribute to 32 "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 "summarily executed much of [Maduro’s] protection team, soldiers and non-combatants," without offering specific details or a confirmed count.
