RismadarVoice Reporters
January 5, 2026
Venezuela’s interim President Delcy Rodriguez has said she is prepared to work with the United States on the country’s future, marking a shift in tone, following the U.S. military operation that led to the seizure of President Nicolás Maduro.
In a statement published on Telegram on Sunday, Rodriguez said her administration considers it a priority to pursue “a balanced and respectful relationship between the United States and Venezuela” during the ongoing political transition.
“We extend an invitation to the U.S. government to work together on an agenda for cooperation, aimed at shared development,” she wrote.
Rodriguez’s comments come days after U.S. special forces captured Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, in an operation confirmed by Washington, described by U.S. officials as a law-enforcement action.
Rodriguez, who has served as Maduro’s deputy since 2018, was sworn in as interim president by Venezuela’s Supreme Court on Saturday. In her first televised address after assuming office, she condemned the U.S. operation as “an atrocity that violates international law”, insisted that Maduro remained Venezuela’s legitimate president.
Her remarks appeared to contradict earlier statements by U.S. President Donald Trump, who said U.S. officials had been in contact with Rodriguez and that she was open to cooperation. After Rodriguez publicly criticized Washington, Trump issued a warning in an interview with The Atlantic.
“If she doesn’t do what’s right, she is going to pay a very big price, probably bigger than Maduro,” Trump said, adding that further strikes against Venezuela were possible, that he would not rule out deploying U.S. ground forces. He reiterated that the United States was now “in charge.”
Trump’s statements have drawn protests in parts of the United States and abroad, as critics question the scope and consequences of the operation.
On Sunday, Rodriguez also announced the creation of a commission tasked with seeking the release of Maduro and Flores from U.S. detention. The commission is co-chaired by Foreign Minister Yvan Gil and Jorge Rodriguez, president of Venezuela’s National Assembly.
Maduro is facing multiple charges in the United States, including narcoterrorism conspiracy, cocaine importation conspiracy, and possession of machine guns and destructive devices. He is scheduled to appear before a federal court in New York on Monday.
U.S. officials have said the operation was carried out to enforce criminal charges first filed in 2020. Trump has also cited migration pressures and Venezuela’s past nationalisation of U.S. oil interests as factors behind the action.
The seizure of Maduro and the subsequent political transition in Caracas continue to draw international attention as developments unfold.
