‘51st State’: Trump’s Post Sparks International Scandal

US President Donald Trump posted a striking image on his Truth Social platform, featuring a map of the northern part of South America with Venezuela colored in the hues of the American flag. The image carries the caption ‘51st State,’ prompting extensive discussions in international media as a suggestion of a potential intention to incorporate Venezuela into the United States.

This is not the first time President Trump has made such public remarks regarding the South American nation. Earlier, he had made a similar reference while congratulating Venezuela’s baseball team, linking the team’s victory over Italy to the collaboration between Caracas and Washington.

Recently, relations between Washington and Caracas have entered a complicated phase. The process of restoring diplomatic ties is taking place against the backdrop of January's events, when the US conducted an airstrike against Caracas aiming to capture Nicolás Maduro. Simultaneously, Donald Trump had publicly announced his plans to establish control over Venezuela’s oil reserves.