Skip to content
The 51st State
ES / EN
Start here

What we know so far

Updated September 23, 2026

  1. On January 3, 2026, U.S. forces captured Nicolás Maduro, and Delcy Rodríguez became interim president.

    FOX 13 (archived copy) · La Nación (AFP) (archived copy)

  2. Since March 2026, Donald Trump has floated the idea of Venezuela as the 51st state several times: on Truth Social, on Fox News, and with maps posted in May and in August.

    Forbes (archived copy) · Infobae (archived copy)

  3. On May 11, 2026, Delcy Rodríguez rejected the idea: “That would never be contemplated.”

    La Nación (AFP) (archived copy)

  4. Under the U.S. Constitution, the power to admit new states belongs to Congress, which does so by passing a law by simple majority in both houses.

    Constitution, Art. IV, Sec. 3 (archived copy) · CRS R47747 (archived copy)

Keep reading