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Venezuela's acting president, Delcy Rodríguez, has offered to work with the US government, marking a shift from the confrontational posture she first adopted after the apprehension of ousted leader Nicolás Maduro.

An Announcement of Collaboration

In a statement released late Sunday, Rodríguez declared she had "extended an invitation to the American administration to cooperate on an framework of joint work."

Her comments followed just hours after former President Donald Trump warned that Maduro's former vice-president could "pay a very big price, potentially bigger than Maduro" if she failed to comply with his demands.

Leadership Shift in Venezuela

Rodríguez has effectively been running Venezuela since Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, were detained on Saturday. The pair were taken to New York and are scheduled for an appearance at a federal court in Manhattan.

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

Trump's Comments and Strategy

Following the shocking capture of Maduro, Trump stated that the United States would now "run" Venezuela "until we can execute a orderly and lawful transition." He also added that communication had been made with Rodríguez.

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

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 observers who argue that the existing power framework remains largely intact – just without Maduro at its head.

Rodríguez's Evolving Posture

In her initial address 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 chairing her first cabinet meeting, she adopted a markedly more conciliatory tone. Rodríguez released a message stating she considered a "stable and mutual relationship" with the United States to be a key objective.

"We invite the government of the US to collaborate on an cooperative agenda, focused on mutual progress, within the confines of global norms, and that promotes lasting peaceful coexistence," she added.

A Direct Address to Trump

Speaking to the American ex-president directly, she wrote: "Mr. 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 all Venezuela at this moment."

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

Contrasting Signals

Despite the conciliatory tone, the administration – and Rodríguez herself, via her social media channel – later paid tribute to 32 "Cuban combatants" who were part of Maduro’s security detail and who died "as a consequence of 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 "cold-bloodedly assassinated much of [Maduro’s] protection team, soldiers and non-combatants," without providing names or a death toll.