Venezuela Rejects Trump’s Suggestion Of Making Country 51st US State, Vows To Defend Sovereignty
Venezuela Rejects Trump’s Suggestion Of Making Country 51st US State, Vows To Defend Sovereignty
Trump first floated the idea during the 2026 World Baseball Classic after Venezuela defeated Italy 4-2 in the semi-final stage of the tournament.
Venezuela’s acting President, Delcy Rodríguez, has rejected remarks attributed to United States President, Donald Trump, suggesting that Venezuela could become the 51st state of the United States.
Rodríguez, in a video published by Al Jazeera which was transcribed by SaharaReporters, insisted that Venezuela would defend its sovereignty and pursue dialogue with neighbouring Guyana over regional disputes rather than submit to foreign control.
“History and geography dictate that Guyana and Venezuela must coexist, understand one another and build a shared future. For this reason, the only realistic way forward in this dispute is to return to direct dialogue and the search for creative, mutually beneficial solutions that will enable us to transform a dispute inherited from the colonial era into an opportunity for cooperation, joint development and the well-being of future generations of both peoples,” Rodríguez said.
Her comments came amid growing controversy surrounding Trump’s latest remarks about Venezuela’s possible incorporation into the United States.
According to Fox News reporter John Roberts, Trump recently said he was “seriously considering” making Venezuela the 51st state of the United States.
Roberts disclosed the conversation in a post on X, writing: “Just got off the phone with Donald Trump … he told me he is seriously considering a move to make Venezuela the 51st state.”
The latest claim has revived global attention on Trump’s repeated comments about expanding US territory during his second term in office.
Trump first floated the idea during the 2026 World Baseball Classic after Venezuela defeated Italy 4-2 in the semi-final stage of the tournament.
Reacting on his Truth Social platform at the time, Trump wrote: “Good things are happening to Venezuela lately. I wonder what this magic is all about? STATEHOOD, #51, ANYONE?”
Following Venezuela’s victory over the United States in the tournament final, Trump again posted a one-word message: “Statehood!!!”
The controversy comes months after escalating US military actions against Venezuela.
Reports indicated that the United States launched airstrikes on Venezuela on January 3 before American forces captured former Venezuelan President, Nicolás Maduro, and his wife, Cilia Flores, at the Fort Tiuna military complex in Caracas.
The pair were subsequently transported to the United States.
Earlier in January 2026, US Attorney General, Pamela Bondi, announced criminal charges against Maduro and Flores.
In a statement posted on X, Bondi said the indictment was filed in the Southern District of New York, accusing Maduro of narco-terrorism conspiracy, cocaine importation conspiracy and weapons-related offences.
“Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, have been indicted in the Southern District of New York,” Bondi stated.
She added that Maduro had been charged with “Narco-Terrorism Conspiracy, Cocaine Importation Conspiracy, Possession of Machineguns and Destructive Devices, and Conspiracy to Possess Machineguns and Destructive Devices against the United States.”
Trump’s remarks have also reignited debates over his previous comments about acquiring foreign territories including Greenland and Canada.
In January 2026, the US president reportedly shared an AI-generated image depicting an Oval Office meeting with European leaders, showing the American flag covering Canada, Greenland and Venezuela.
Despite the political uproar generated by the comments, constitutional experts have noted that admitting another country as a US state would require approval by the US Congress as well as the consent of the country involved.
The White House has yet to issue any official statement clarifying Trump’s latest remarks on Venezuela’s possible statehood.
