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Venezuela's acting president, Delcy Rodríguez, has expressed a willingness to collaborate with the United States, dialing back from the defiant rhetoric she first adopted after the capture 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 agenda of joint work."

Her remarks followed just a short time after ex-President Donald Trump threatened that Maduro's former vice-president could "pay a very big price, potentially more severe than Maduro" if she failed to comply with 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 pair were taken 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 following day, the country's armed forces agreed to recognise her leadership, while simultaneously calling for the prompt liberation of Maduro and his wife.

The Former President's Statements and Strategy

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

On Sunday, he warned that the US might initiate a second strike if remaining members of the administration do not cooperate with his plans to get the country "fixed."

Trump's move 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 existing power framework remains mostly unchanged – simply without Maduro at its head.

Rodríguez's Evolving Position

In her initial address after Maduro's detention, Rodríguez first adopted 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 conciliatory tone. Rodríguez released a message stating she considered a "stable and mutual relationship" with the United States to be a priority.

"We invite the government of the US to work jointly on an agenda of cooperation, focused on mutual progress, within the framework of global norms, and that strengthens enduring peace," she added.

A Direct Address to Trump

Addressing the former US president directly, she said: "President Donald Trump: our peoples and our region deserve 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 devoted myself. My aspiration is for Venezuela to become a great power where all decent Venezuelans can unite. Venezuela has the right to peace, development, sovereignty and a future," she concluded.

Contradictory Signals

Despite the conciliatory tone, the administration – and Rodríguez herself, via her official channel – later honored 32 "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 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] security detail, soldiers and innocent civilians," without providing names or a death toll.