By Armando Hernandez
Donald Trump affirmed this Monday that he is “seriously” considering turning Venezuela into the 51st state of the American Unionstatements that provoked a quick response from the Venezuelan interim president, Delcy Rodríguez, who rejected any possibility of annexation.
According to a post on the social network
In the same conversation, the US president maintained that the South American country has “40 million dollars in oil”, insisting on the strategic value of Venezuelan energy reserves.
The statements occur in a context of tension and political reconfiguration in Venezuela after the capture and transfer to the United States of former president Nicolás Maduro last January.or, an operation confirmed by Washington and which led to the installation of an interim government headed by Rodríguez.
From The Hague, where he participated in hearings related to the Essequibo territorial dispute before the International Court of Justice, Rodríguez categorically ruled out the possibility of Venezuela becoming part of the United States.
“That is not planned, it would never be planned, because if we Venezuelans have something, it is that we love our independence process”he declared before Venezuelan media.
The president defended Venezuelan sovereignty and assured that the country’s history has been built thanks to the “glory of men and women who gave their lives” to make Venezuela “not a colony but a free country.”
Rodríguez also insisted on maintaining cooperation channels with Washington after the fall of the Maduro regime, especially in economic and oil matters.
It is not the first time that Trump mentions the possibility of annexing foreign territories to the United States. During his campaign and in recent months, the Republican has made similar comments about Canada and Greenland, although in an ambiguous tone between joke and political provocation.
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