A day after a blistering speech in which she accused the Trump administration of illegally kidnapping Nicolas Maduro, Venezuela’s head of state, the country’s new acting president, Delcy Rodriguez, released a statement on Sunday night striking a much more diplomatic tone. In a statement posted on social media, Rodriguez said that Venezuela “aspires to live without external threats” and “has a right to sovereignty.” But she continued in a more conciliatory tack. “We extend an invitation to the US govt to work together on a cooperative agenda, oriented toward shared development, within the framework of international law, and to strengthen lasting community coexistence,” she wrote.Rodriguez, 56, a former foreign minister, was Maduro’s vice president. When Maduro was taken out of the country by force and in handcuffs on Saturday, she initially refused to acknowledge that she had essentially become president, referring to Maduro as the country’s “only” president.In a news conference announcing Maduro’s capture on Saturday, President Trump said that Rodriguez had spoken to secretary of state Marco Rubio and agreed to cooperate in a transition govt. But hours later, Rodriguez gave a fiery speech in which she accused the US of invading the country. She called for Maduro’s return.Trump publicly threatened her, telling The Atlantic on Sunday that “if she doesn’t do what’s right, she is going to pay a very big price.” Rodriguez’s missive on Sunday, notably, did not demand Maduro’s release. Addressing Trump in her statement, Rodriguez said: “Our people and our region deserve peace and dialogue, not war. That has always been President Nicolas Maduro’s position, and it is the position of all of Venezuela at this moment.” On Sunday, the Venezuelan Supreme Court declared her the country’s acting president. NYT
