Delcy Rodríguez, Venezuela’s acting president, struck a markedly more conciliatory tone toward the Trump administration days after publicly condemning the US operation that captured President Nicolás Maduro.
In a statement released late Sunday, Rodríguez said, “We extend an invitation to the US government to work together on a cooperation agenda, aimed at shared development, within the framework of international law, and to strengthen lasting community coexistence.”
The remarks represent a shift from her response following Saturday’s operation, when US forces detained Maduro and carried out targeted strikes in Caracas and nearby cities. At the time, Rodríguez denounced the actions and called for Maduro’s return.
Following the operation, President Trump said a team of US officials would “run” Venezuela and that Rodríguez would work alongside them. Speaking to The Atlantic on Sunday, Trump said the country would require rebuilding and issued a warning directed at Rodríguez. “If she doesn’t do what’s right, she is going to pay a very big price, probably bigger than Maduro,” he said. Secretary of State Marco Rubio added that the administration would judge her based on actions rather than rhetoric.
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump said the United States needed “total access” to oil to rebuild Venezuela and said Rodríguez’s description of Maduro’s capture as a kidnapping was not “a bad term.”
A new group of lawmakers is expected to be sworn in at the National Assembly. Maduro is scheduled to appear in a New York courtroom on Monday.
