Thursday, May 14, 2026 - US President Donald Trump shared a provocative map graphic on his Truth Social platform on Tuesday night, May 12, depicting Venezuela with an inset American flag and the label “51st State.”
The post was published while the president was traveling to
China for a high-stakes summit, further heightening international attention on
the administration's stance toward the South American nation.
The social media post follows a recent interview with Fox
News where Trump admitted to considering statehood for Venezuela, citing his
administration's influence over the oil-rich country. These developments come
just months after US forces captured deposed leader Nicolas Maduro in January.
Venezuela’s interim president, Delcy Rodriguez, addressed
the speculation on Monday, stating that her country has “never” considered
becoming a US state. Despite this stance, Rodriguez has overseen a significant
thawing of relations with Washington, implementing reforms that reopened
Venezuela’s mining and oil sectors to foreign investment, particularly from
American companies.
While the Venezuelan opposition continues to demand fresh
elections, the interim government remains non-committal. When questioned
recently about the timeline for a new vote, Rodriguez noted that she “didn’t
know” and suggested it would happen “sometime” in the future.
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