Trump caused another stir after posting a graphic on the social media platform Truth Social showing a map of Venezuela, the U.S. flag, and the message labeling it as America's 51st state, sparking a fresh controversy.
The post was shared while Trump was traveling to China to attend a major summit and came just one day after Delsy Rodriguez, Venezuela's acting leader, confirmed that her country has never considered becoming the 51st U.S. state, despite former leader Nicolás Maduro being detained by U.S. forces in January.
Previously, Trump told Fox News that he was seriously considering the possibility of admitting Venezuela as a new U.S. state, mentioning the country's vast oil reserves which he claimed are worth over 40 trillion dollars.
Meanwhile, Venezuela's interim government continues to assert the country's sovereignty. Rodriguez stated that Venezuelans are proud of their independence and do not want their nation to be annexed by any other country.
However, relations between the U.S. and Venezuela have recently eased after the interim government opened the oil and mining sectors to foreign investment, especially from U.S. companies, while Venezuela's opposition continues to demand new elections.
Trump's latest move has sparked heavy criticism online and is seen as a political stance that could cause geopolitical upheaval in the Latin American region.
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