Overview
- Trump, in a phone call with Fox News on Monday, said he is “seriously considering” turning Venezuela into the 51st U.S. state.
- Acting president Delcy Rodríguez rejected statehood the same day, telling reporters in The Hague that Venezuelans prize independence and would never consider such a move.
- Any admission of a new state requires an act of Congress and the consent of the territory involved, so a unilateral executive action cannot create statehood.
- Trump cited vast oil wealth, referencing an estimated $40 trillion in reserves, and claimed strong personal support by saying “Venezuela loves Trump.”
- Since U.S. forces captured Nicolás Maduro in January, Washington has reopened direct flights, expanded diplomatic contacts, and the Treasury has managed oil-sale proceeds as exports reportedly topped about 1 million barrels per day in April.