Washington, DC — Former US President Donald Trump has shifted his controversial talk of a “51st state” toward Venezuela, escalating an already tense geopolitical moment in Latin America. After earlier flirtations with similar ideas involving Canada and Greenland, Trump intensified pressure on Caracas following the dramatic ousting and capture of longtime leader Nicolás Maduro.
En route to a summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Trump posted a map of Venezuela on his social platform featuring an inset American flag, a move that followed his recent remarks on Fox News that he was seriously “considering making Venezuela a new state of the US.”
The political landscape in Caracas has changed markedly since a US military operation at the presidential palace resulted in Maduro’s capture. Trump has since publicly asserted that he is “in control” of the country and issued a stark warning to interim leader Delcy Rodríguez, saying she would “pay a very big price” if she did not comply with his demands — potentially a consequence “bigger than Maduro.”
Rodríguez has overseen a limited thaw with Washington and pursued reforms that reopened Venezuela’s oil and mining sectors to foreign companies, but she has firmly rejected any idea of ceding sovereignty. She said her country had “never” contemplated joining the United States as its 51st state.
Domestic politics in Venezuela remain unsettled. Opposition figures have called for fresh elections; Rodríguez acknowledged elections would be held “sometime” soon but could not provide a specific timeline.
Trump’s focus on Venezuela follows earlier episodes in which he raised a US‑Canada merger — an idea reportedly mentioned during an October 2025 meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, who reportedly laughed it off — and drew international pushback over Greenland, prompting threats of economic retaliation from the European Union at the time.
This report is based on syndicated material and was published as received; The Tribune does not assume responsibility for the accuracy or completeness of that feed.
