Trump Says He’s ‘Seriously Considering’ Making Venezuela America’s 51st State
President Donald Trump said Monday that he is seriously weighing the possibility of making Venezuela the 51st state of the United States, citing the country’s massive oil reserves and growing ties with Washington.
According to Fox News anchor John Roberts, Trump told him during a phone call that he was “seriously considering a move to make Venezuela the 51st state,” adding that the South American nation possesses enormous oil wealth and “Venezuela loves Trump.”
The remarks immediately sparked international attention as Trump continues reshaping US policy toward Venezuela following the dramatic removal of dictator Nicolás Maduro earlier this year. Maduro was captured by US forces and later brought to the United States to face narco-terrorism charges, according to reports.
Venezuela’s acting president, Delcy Rodríguez, quickly rejected the idea of statehood while emphasizing the country’s sovereignty and independence.
“That would never have been considered, because if there is one thing we Venezuelan men and women have, it is that we love our independence process,” Rodríguez said.
Despite rejecting the proposal, Rodríguez also confirmed that Venezuelan officials remain in active diplomatic communication with the Trump administration and are continuing discussions involving cooperation and economic issues.
Trump has repeatedly pointed to Venezuela’s oil reserves as a strategic reason for strengthening ties with the country. Venezuela possesses some of the largest proven oil reserves in the world, and the United States has sharply increased imports of Venezuelan crude since Trump’s January actions in the region.
Reports indicate roughly 445,000 barrels per day of Venezuelan oil were exported to the United States in April alone, helping offset rising global energy prices amid instability in the Middle East.
The president has previously floated similar ideas involving foreign territories and nations, including suggestions that Canada could become the 51st state and renewed interest in acquiring Greenland for strategic reasons.
Under the US Constitution, adding Venezuela as a state would require congressional approval and likely some form of referendum or consent process involving the Venezuelan people. No formal proposal has yet been introduced in Congress.