The Hague (Diplomat.so) – Delcy Rodríguez, Venezuela's acting president, rejected comments by U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday suggesting Venezuela could become the 51st state of the United States, saying the proposal "is not under consideration at all."
Rodríguez made the remarks in The Hague while attending proceedings at the International Court of Justice concerning the territorial dispute between Venezuela and Guyana over the oil-rich Essequibo region, which is administered by Guyana but claimed by Caracas.
"What distinguishes Venezuelans is that we value our independence and the legacy of our independence heroes,” Rodríguez told reporters outside the court building Monday. Her comments came after Trump reportedly told Fox News that he was "seriously” considering the possibility of Venezuela becoming a U.S. state.
In March, Trump also referred to the idea in a post published on Truth Social, where he wrote that "good things” were happening in Venezuela and questioned whether there was a "magical reason” linked to "the 51st state.”
Rodríguez assumed the interim presidency after Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro was detained by U.S. special forces during a military operation carried out on Jan. 3, according to Venezuelan authorities and U.S. officials. The operation marked a major escalation in relations between Caracas and Washington and drew reactions from governments across Latin America.
The acting president said her administration is working under "a diplomatic cooperation agenda” with Washington after diplomatic relations between the two countries were restored in March following a seven-year break initiated during Maduro’s administration.
Rodríguez, who previously served as Maduro’s vice president, has approved amendments to Venezuela’s oil and mining laws allowing broader private-sector participation, including investment opportunities for U.S. companies. Her administration also issued pardons leading to the release of hundreds of political detainees, though human rights organizations estimate that approximately 500 political prisoners remain in custody.
Speaking to Diplomat News Network, a regional political analyst based in Bogotá said the gradual easing of U.S. sanctions and Trump’s public praise for Rodríguez’s reforms reflect changing American priorities tied to energy markets, migration concerns, and regional stability in Latin America.
