Stunning U-turn: Venezuela’s interim leader Delcy Rodríguez seeks cooperation with Trump

Washington: In a surprise diplomatic pivot, Delcy Rodríguez, Venezuela’s interim president, on Sunday night invited Donald Trump “to collaborate” and said she seeks “respectful relations” with the United States, marking a dramatic shift in tone after days of confrontational rhetoric.

Rodríguez posted the message in English on Instagram, calling for “an agenda of cooperation oriented towards shared development within the framework of international law.” The conciliatory outreach came shortly after Trump warned that Rodríguez could “pay a very big price” if she failed to meet US demands.

The overture lands amid extraordinary developments in Venezuela, following the US operation that detained Nicolás Maduro and placed Rodríguez in the interim role by court order. Despite her appeal for cooperation, Venezuelan leaders have publicly rejected the seizure of Maduro, calling it “imperialist,” and demanding his release.

In Washington, Marco Rubio sought to temper fears of US nation-building, saying the United States would not run Venezuela day-to-day but would continue enforcing an existing “oil quarantine” on sanctioned tankers.

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 Speaking on CBS’ Face the Nation, Rubio said the blockade provides leverage to push reforms in oil governance and curb drug trafficking, while stopping short of ruling out further measures.

Trump, however, reiterated that the US would “run everything” for a period to stabilize and rebuild the country, promising elections “at the right time” without offering a timeline. He acknowledged casualties on “the other side” of the operation and said no US forces were killed. Cuba said dozens of its security officers died during the operation.

Legal experts have questioned the lawfulness of the intervention, conducted without congressional approval, and raised concerns about precedent. Still, Venezuela’s government continued operating over the weekend as ministers remained in place, even as Caracas grew unusually quiet.

Rodríguez’s outreach—inviting collaboration while standing by Maduro—adds a new layer of uncertainty to an already volatile standoff, leaving diplomats watching closely to see whether rhetoric gives way to negotiations.