Venezuela responds sharply to Trump’s 51st state suggestion
Flag of Venezuela (Photo: Getty Images)
The acting president of Venezuela, Delcy Rodríguez, called the country free. She rejected Trump's statement that the US should admit the 51st state, according to The Independent.
Rodríguez called such an idea completely unacceptable. She emphasized the sovereignty of her state.
The official delivered her speech in The Hague, where she was attending the final day of the hearings. The court is considering the territorial dispute between Venezuela and Guyana. The dispute concerns the Essequibo region, which is extremely rich in natural resources.
"We will continue to defend our integrity, our sovereignty, our independence, our history," Rodríguez said, adding that Venezuela is "not a colony, but a free country."
What exactly did Donald Trump propose?
The scandal broke out after the 47th President of the US gave an interview to Fox News. Trump's intentions were reported by Fox News co-host John Roberts.
He posted on social media based on the conversation. Trump said he is seriously considering making Venezuela the 51st state of the US.
The official White House is silent for now, and other officials in the Trump administration have also provided no comments in response to journalists' inquiries.
How Trump "expands" the number of states
The US leader has made such controversial statements before. It all started with Canada, which Trump decided to annex to the US. This led to a trade war between the countries.
In addition, Trump does not like that Canada has grown closer to China on trade issues.
The US president has also repeatedly announced plans to annex Greenland to the US. He wanted to buy the island for $700 billion, which caused a scandal in Europe.
