US President Donald Trump shared a post on his Truth Social account Saturday showing a map of Venezuela overlaid with an American flag and labeled “51st State.” The post came a day after Venezuela’s acting President Delcy Rodríguez rejected the idea of the country becoming another US state following Trump’s remarks that he was “seriously considering” the move.
Venezuela’s response
“We will continue defending the integrity, the sovereignty, the independence, our history, which is a history of glories of men and women that gave their life to make sure that we were not colonies, but our independent country,” Rodríguez said. Her comments came after Trump said in an interview with Fox News that he was considering making Venezuela the 51st US state.
Maduro’s capture
Following the capture of former Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro from his home in Caracas and his transfer to the United States on Jan. 2, Trump has repeatedly said he is “getting along very well with Venezuela.” The US has maintained a naval blockade on Venezuela and has imposed sanctions on the country’s oil exports.
Regional context
The post comes amid broader US military and economic pressure on Latin American countries. Trump has previously suggested the US should take over Cuba, saying “whether I free it, take it – think I could do anything I want with it.”