President Rodriguez affirms Venezuela will not become a US state

Caracas (ANTARA) - Venezuela’s interim President Delcy Rodriguez has affirmed that her country will never become the 51st state of the United States. “That is absolutely impossible and will not happen, because the Venezuelan people have a love for our independence process. We will continue to defend our integrity, sovereignty, and independence,” Rodriguez told reporters after attending a hearing at the International Court of Justice in The Hague, Netherlands, on Monday (11/5). The statement came after Fox News reported a phone interview with US President Donald Trump, who was said to be considering making Venezuela a part of the United States. “President Trump knows that we are pursuing an agenda of diplomatic cooperation, and that is the path we are taking,” Rodriguez added. Trump linked that victory to cooperation between Caracas and Washington. Diplomatic relations between the US and Venezuela began to be restored after Washington’s airstrike on Caracas in January to capture President Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores. Trump also expressed his intention to take over Venezuelan oil. Source: Sputnik/RIA Novosti