US President Donald Trump is once again causing a stir with a provocative post about territorial expansion efforts: This time it’s about Venezuela.
May 13, 2026, 07:19May 13, 2026, 07:19
On his Truth Social platform, Trump posted a map showing the South American country in the design of the US flag. Above the card is the writing: “51. state».
Trump’s post.Image: x
On Monday, Trump had already said in a telephone conversation with a journalist from the US broadcaster Fox News that he was seriously considering making Venezuela the 51st state of the USA. Venezuela’s acting president, Delcy Rodríguez, dismissed Trump’s insinuations. “That’s not the plan,” she said. Venezuela is not a colony and the government in Caracas will continue to protect the country’s integrity, sovereignty and independence. “President Trump knows that we have been working on a diplomatic agenda of cooperation. This is the course and this is the way,” she said.
Not Trump’s first provocation
Trump’s allusions to a 51st state in the USA are reminiscent of earlier statements about neighboring Canada. In the past, the US President had publicly toyed with the idea of bringing Canada under US control several times. The neighboring country should be part of the United States and the “51st. It was said that it would become a federal state. Canada strictly rejects this.
In addition, there were blatant claims of ownership of the island of Greenland, which belongs to NATO partner Denmark, which met with a lot of resentment in Europe.
With regard to Venezuela, this is not the first provocation by the US President: At the beginning of this year, he posted a photo montage that also showed a poster on which, in addition to the USA, Venezuela was depicted in the colors of the US flag.
The US military invaded Venezuela at the beginning of the year and captured the authoritarian head of state Nicolás Maduro. He is to be tried in New York for alleged involvement in drug trafficking. (sda/dpa)