Venezuela’s Acting President Extends Unexpected Olive Branch to U.S.
In a surprising diplomatic shift, Venezuela’s acting president, Delcy Rodríguez, has publicly invited the United States to engage in cooperation, marking a stark departure from her government’s recent furious rhetoric.
The invitation was issued late Sunday via a social media post directed at the U.S. government and President Donald Trump. “We invite the US government to collaborate with us on an agenda of cooperation,” Rodríguez wrote, adding that such collaboration should occur “within the framework of international law to strengthen lasting community coexistence.”
This conciliatory language stands in sharp contrast to the defiant stance Rodríguez and the Venezuelan government have maintained since the U.S. military’s capture of former President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores. The couple was apprehended in a raid in Caracas and flown to New York, where they face serious drug trafficking charges.
Rodríguez had previously condemned the operation as an “illegal grab” for Venezuela’s national resources. Her sudden change in tone follows a direct warning from President Trump, who stated that Rodríguez could “pay a very big price” for failing to cooperate with the United States.
The overture adds a new layer of complexity to the fraught relationship between the two nations. Rodríguez, who also served as oil minister under Maduro, is now the leading figure of a government that the U.S. has sought to pressure through sanctions and diplomatic isolation for years.
Analysts suggest the move could be an attempt to de-escalate tensions following Maduro’s capture, a significant blow to the ruling party. It remains unclear how the U.S. administration will respond to the proposed “agenda of cooperation.”
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