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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 first adopted after the capture of former dictator Nicolás Maduro.

An Announcement of Cooperation

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

Her comments came just a short time after ex-President Donald Trump threatened that Rodríguez could "pay a very big price, potentially more severe than Maduro" if she did not bend to his wishes.

Leadership Shift 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 formally inaugurated as acting president by the supreme court on Saturday. The next day, the military leadership agreed to recognise her authority, while simultaneously calling for the immediate release of Maduro and his wife.

Trump's Comments and Approach

Following the shocking capture 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 added that contact had been made with Rodríguez.

On Sunday, he cautioned that the US might initiate a further action if holdouts of the administration fail to comply with his efforts to get the country "back on track."

Trump's actions have effectively marginalized the country's democratic opposition, lead 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 – simply without Maduro at its head.

The Leader's Shifting Position

In her initial address after Maduro's detention, Rodríguez initially struck a stance of resistance, declaring that Venezuela would "not ever be any other nation's colony."

However, on Sunday night, after chairing her first cabinet meeting, she adopted a significantly more cooperative stance. Rodríguez issued a communication stating she considered a "balanced and respectful relationship" with the United States to be a key objective.

"We extend an invitation the United States government to collaborate on an cooperative agenda, focused on shared development, within the confines of global norms, and that promotes enduring peace," she added.

A Direct Address to Trump

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

"This nation I believe in and to which I have devoted myself. My dream is for Venezuela to become a significant nation where all patriotic Venezuelans can unite. 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 official channel – later paid tribute to several dozen "Cuban security personnel" who were part of Maduro’s security detail and who perished "as a consequence of the unlawful and reprehensible attack carried out by the United States."

Earlier on Sunday, the defense chief, Gen Vladímir Padrino López, had said in a statement 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.