US President Donald Trump published an image of a map of Venezuela on Truth Social with the caption “51st state“.
In addition, the territory of the country in the photo published by the American leader is colored in the colors of the American flag.
Trump earlier announced that he was “seriously considering“ making Venezuela the 51st state of the US, which provoked an immediate and categorical reaction from the acting President of Venezuela, Delcy Rodriguez, rejecting any possibility of annexation.
Trump made the statement during a telephone interview with Fox News host John Roberts. The president cited Venezuela's vast oil reserves, estimated by him at $40 trillion, as the main reason. He added confidently that "Venezuela loves Trump" and expressed satisfaction with the current economic cooperation.
His comments follow the large-scale US military operation of January 3, 2026, in which former President Nicolas Maduro was captured in Caracas and taken to the United States.
Trump has already made similar provocative ideas about annexing Canada and Greenland.
Delcy Rodriguez categorically stated that Venezuela is not and will not be a colony of any empire, but remains a free and independent nation. She stressed the deep respect Venezuelans have for their independence process and national heroes.
Despite the sharp rejection, Rodriguez said Caracas and Washington continue to maintain channels of communication in search of “cooperation and understanding“.
White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly declined to comment on the specific state-building plan. She only noted that Trump is known for “never accepting the status quo”, praising Delcy Rodriguez for her “incredible cooperation“ with the United States so far.