US President Donald Trump proposed incorporating Venezuela into the United States as the 51st state. He made the statement in late October 2026 during a campaign rally in Corpus Christi, Texas. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing Kursiv Media.
Speaking to supporters, Trump noted that relations between Washington and Caracas had become "wonderful" and suggested that Venezuela could become part of the US in the future.
"Who knows, maybe soon it will become a prosperous 51st state. Let's make it the 51st state, and then instead of a president we'll elect a governor," the American leader said.
Trump linked his proposal to the large oil reserves in the South American country. During the same speech, he announced the arrival in Texas of the first million barrels of Venezuelan oil as a "gift" under new agreements.
Trump first raised the possibility of annexing Venezuela in spring 2026 in an interview with Fox News and on the social network Truth Social. Venezuela's current leadership, headed by acting President Delcy Rodríguez, categorically rejected the idea at the time, stressing that the country values its sovereignty and would never agree to become an American colony. In addition, under US law, incorporating any new territory into the Union as a state requires mandatory approval from Congress.