Venezuela’s Vice President Delcy Rodríguez issued a strong warning to the United States on Thursday, condemning Washington’s military operations in the Caribbean as a threat to regional stability.

Speaking at the National History Award ceremony in the capital, Rodríguez accused the US of attempting to turn Venezuela into its “51st state” and reaffirmed the nation’s commitment to remaining an independent republic. “We will never become a part of another country,” she declared.

Rodríguez also criticized opposition figures she said support foreign interference, specifically referencing opposition leader María Corina Machado, and stressed that the Venezuelan people would not submit to external pressures promising to hand over the country to foreign powers.

Her comments come amid rising tensions in the Caribbean, where Venezuelan authorities have closely monitored increased US naval activity. Rodríguez described these operations as an “open threat” to Venezuela’s sovereignty, signaling Caracas’ determination to defend the nation against perceived foreign encroachment.

Political analysts note that Rodríguez’s statements reaffirm the Venezuelan government’s long-standing stance against external influence and emphasize its insistence on national independence, even as the country faces growing international scrutiny. (ILKHA)