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Venezuela's interim leader, Delcy Rodríguez, has offered to work with the US government, dialing back from the defiant rhetoric she initially displayed after the capture of ousted leader Nicolás Maduro.

An Announcement of Collaboration

In a message issued Sunday night, Rodríguez stated she had "invited the US government to work together on an agenda of cooperation."

Her remarks followed just a short time after former President Donald Trump warned that Rodríguez could "face severe consequences, probably 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 due to appear at a U.S. court in Manhattan.

She was sworn in as president by the constitutional tribunal on Saturday. The next day, the country's armed forces agreed to recognise her leadership, while still demanding the immediate release of Maduro and his wife.

The Former President's Statements and Approach

Following the surprising apprehension of Maduro, Trump claimed that the United States would now "manage" Venezuela "until such time as 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 second strike if holdouts of the administration fail to comply with his plans to get the country "back on track."

Trump's move have effectively marginalized the country's democratic opposition, lead by Nobel laureate María Corina Machado. This strategy has been broadly condemned by observers who contend that the regime's power structure remains largely intact – just without Maduro at its helm.

Rodríguez's Shifting Position

In her first public appearance after Maduro's capture, Rodríguez initially struck a defiant tone, declaring that Venezuela would "not ever be anyone's colony."

However, on Sunday night, after chairing her first cabinet meeting, she struck a significantly 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 government of the US to collaborate on an agenda of cooperation, aimed at mutual progress, within the confines of international law, and that strengthens lasting peaceful coexistence," she added.

An Open Address to Trump

Speaking to the American ex-president directly, she wrote: "Mr. Trump: our nations and our region are entitled to peace and dialogue, not war. That has always been President Nicolás Maduro’s conviction and it is that of the entire nation at this juncture."

"This nation I believe in and to which I have dedicated my life. My dream is for Venezuela to become a significant nation where all decent Venezuelans can unite. Venezuela has the inherent right to sovereignty, development, peace, and a prosperous future," she added.

Contrasting Signals

Alongside the cooperative language, the Venezuelan government – and Rodríguez herself, via her official channel – later paid tribute to 32 "Cuban security personnel" who were part of Maduro’s security detail and who perished "due to the criminal and infamous attack carried out by the United States."

Previously that day, the defense chief, Gen Vladímir Padrino López, had stated that US troops had "summarily executed much of [Maduro’s] security detail, soldiers and innocent civilians," without offering specific details or a confirmed count.