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US President Donald Trump sparked controversy on Tuesday with a map showing Venezuela as the “51st State,” featuring an inset American flag.
The post, shared on his Truth Social platform, came just as Trump was heading to China for a high-stakes summit. The timing, along with the dramatic imagery, added to the already heated debate surrounding U.S.-Venezuela relations.
The controversy was further fueled by remarks from Venezuela’s interim president, Delcy Rodriguez, who rejected the idea of the country becoming a US state. She said that Venezuela had “never” considered such a move, despite the political turmoil that followed the capture of former leader Nicolas Maduro by US forces earlier this year.
This remark from Rodriguez came just a day after Trump suggested on Fox News that he was considering making Venezuela the 51st US state, citing his control over the country’s vast oil reserves.
Rodriguez, who assumed office after Maduro’s ousting, has worked to improve relations with the US since taking charge, introducing reforms that opened Venezuela’s mining and oil industries to foreign investment, including from US companies.
While Venezuela’s opposition parties have called for elections, Rodriguez remained non-committal when asked about the timeline for a vote, saying on May 1 that it would take place “sometime.”
