Venezuela’s acting President Delcy Rodríguez said on May 11 that her country has no intention of becoming the 51st state of the United States after President Donald Trump stated he was “seriously considering” such a move.
Rodríguez made the remarks while speaking to journalists at the International Court of Justice in The Hague on the final day of hearings in the long-running territorial dispute between Venezuela and neighbouring Guyana over the mineral- and oil-rich Essequibo region, Caliber.Az reports via foreign media.
“We will continue to defend our integrity, our sovereignty, our independence, our history,” Rodríguez said. Venezuela is “not a colony, but a free country,” she added.
Earlier on May 11, Trump told Fox News he was “seriously considering making Venezuela the 51st US state,” according to a social media post by Fox News co-anchor John Roberts.
Rodríguez also said Venezuelan and U.S. officials remain in contact and are working on “cooperation and understanding.”
Before addressing Trump’s comments, Rodríguez defended Venezuela’s claim to the Essequibo region before the United Nations’ highest court, arguing that the century-old territorial dispute should be resolved through political negotiations rather than a judicial ruling.
By Sabina Mammadli
