US President Donald Trump published a map on the Truth Social platform on Tuesday showing the American flag over the entire territory of Venezuela with the caption "51st state," writes LETA citing DPA.
The day before, Fox News quoted Trump as saying that he is "seriously considering" the possibility of turning Venezuela into the 51st state of the USA.
Interim President of Venezuela Delcy Rodriguez rejected Trump's statements on Monday, stating that "this is not on our agenda."
Venezuela is not a colony, and the government in Caracas will continue to defend the territorial integrity, sovereignty, and independence of the country, Rodriguez emphasized.
"President Trump knows that we are working on a program of diplomatic cooperation. This is our direction and path forward," the interim president added.
Trump's statements about the 51st state of the USA echo his previous remarks about neighboring Canada.
He has repeatedly expressed the idea of subordinating Canada to US control — a rather strange notion that Ottawa has categorically rejected.
Trump has also made direct territorial claims on Denmark's autonomous territory — Greenland, which caused strong outrage in Europe.
This is not the first time Trump has published maps hinting at the expansion of US territory.
In January, he published a map showing the territories of the USA, Venezuela, Greenland, and Canada marked with American flags.
Venezuela has been in a state of political instability since January 3, when during a US military operation in Caracas, Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife were kidnapped. Both were taken to the USA.
Since then, the USA and the interim government led by Rodriguez, Maduro's former vice president, have agreed to restore diplomatic relations to support the recovery of the economy and political stabilization.
Both sides are discussing closer cooperation in expanding oil production and other natural resources.
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) May 12, 2026
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