After the arrest of former Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro by the US, the interim leader Delcy Rodriguez released a message of reconciliation on Sunday, calling for a “balanced and mutually respectful” relationship between the two countries and inviting Washington to collaborate on a cooperative agenda.
Rodriguez expressed through Telegram, “We believe that it is urgent to promote a balanced and mutually respectful relationship between the United States and Venezuela.”
“We sincerely invite the US government to jointly establish a cooperative agenda to promote mutual development,” she said.
This latest statement marks a stark contrast to her previous strong rhetoric. Earlier, following the Supreme Court ruling appointing her as interim president, Rodriguez emphasized in a televised speech that Maduro remains the “sole president of Venezuela” and criticized US actions as “violations of international law.”
Now, she has shifted focus towards cooperation and development, with many interpreting this as an attempt to calm bilateral relations amid high tensions.
On Sunday evening, while returning to Washington on Air Force One, US President Trump told accompanying reporters that the current focus of the US is not immediate regime change or elections in Venezuela, but rather ensuring the country “restores order and resumes operation.”
He noted that the US has engaged with some individuals within Venezuela’s existing power structure, hoping for cooperation in combating drug trafficking, stabilizing the situation, and reorganizing key industries.
Trump also indicated that he would speak directly with Rodriguez at the “appropriate time.”
He emphasized that the US demands “total access” to oil facilities and infrastructure in Venezuela to repair the long-neglected energy and transportation systems.
He stated that if Venezuela is willing to cooperate, the US has no intention to further use force; however, if the situation deteriorates, the US is prepared to take further action.
“We will take care of that country. We will cherish that country. More importantly, we will take care of the people, including those living in our country, the Venezuelans forced to leave their homeland. They will be very well taken care of,” he said.
Rodriguez, 56, who was educated in the UK and France, is a lawyer and has been serving as Vice President of Venezuela since 2018, overseeing the country’s oil-dependent economy and playing a key role in intelligence and security systems.
She and her brother, Jorge Rodriguez, the current president of the National Assembly, come from a leftist political background and have accumulated influence during the periods of Hugo Chavez and Maduro.
Unlike some figures in Maduro’s inner circle, Rodriguez herself has not faced criminal charges from the US but was sanctioned during Trump’s first presidential term for allegedly undermining democratic processes.
Ronald Rodriguez, a spokesperson for the Venezuela Observatory of Rosario University in Bogotá, Colombia, stated that she has close ties with the military; the military has long served as arbitrators in Venezuela’s political disputes, giving her a certain degree of coordination in the current situation.
He said, “She has established very strong connections within certain factions of the armed forces and, to a large extent, managed to open dialogue channels in transactional ways.”
Geoff Ramsey, a senior researcher at the Atlantic Council, a Washington-based think tank, suggested that Rodriguez’s initial tough stance towards the Trump administration might just be an attempt to “save face.”
Ramsey said, “If she portrays herself as a puppet of the US, she cannot expect support from her revolutionary peers.”
According to the Venezuelan Constitution, if the president is “permanently unable to serve,” an election must be held within 30 days. However, the Supreme Court ruled this time to categorize Maduro’s absence as “temporary,” allowing the Vice President to assume power for a maximum of 90 days, extendable up to six months with the approval of the National Assembly.
It remains unclear whether Rodriguez can balance domestic political pressures, integrate fractured factions, and satisfy the various demands of the US while releasing signals of reconciliation.