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Mexico, Canada, Cuba, Greenland, Iceland, as well as Guadeloupe, Martinique, Saint Martin, Saint Pierre and Miquelon, Saint Barthélemy… All of these countries and territories were virtually annexed on Monday, September 7, by U.S. President Donald Trump. He did so by posting a revised map of the country on his Truth Social account. Indeed, on this fictional map, Donald Trump expands U.S. territory to include sovereign nations, among which (in addition to those mentioned above) are Jamaica, Saint Lucia, Barbados, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Honduras, as well as the Cayman Islands, the British Virgin Islands, Turks and Caicos, Anguilla, and Montserrat… Furthermore, the Gulf of Mexico has been renamed the “Gulf of America.” Although the fictional map is not accompanied by any explanation or other commentary, its publication quickly sparked a wave of reactions.
Whether this was yet another provocation by Donald Trump, an expression of a desire for conquest, or yet another illustration of the U.S. president’s ignorance, the publication of the document helped to fan the already high tensions between the United States and all of its neighbors—particularly those in the Caribbean. Whether by chance or coincidence, Monday, September 7—the day Donald Trump released the map—marked the fifth anniversary of Africa-Caricom Day.
Few reactions
In an online post, Xavier Lédée, president of the Territorial Council of Saint Barthélemy, wrote diplomatically: “For centuries, Saint Barthélemy forged its destiny between France and Sweden before definitively choosing the French Republic in 1877. Our recent twinning with St. Thomas, meanwhile, demonstrates our strong ties with our American neighbors. I can assure you that we will continue to build upon our shared history, in full independence. Proud of our identity, we will always be happy to welcome our American friends here, with full sovereignty and our legendary sense of hospitality. Allies, sister cities, friends… but deeply French and, above all, Saint-Barth!”
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum, Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel, and the Icelandic Minister of Foreign Affairs reacted much more strongly, reaffirming their sovereignty and independence. “Mexico is not and will not be a colony or a protectorate of any foreign country,” Claudia Sheinbaum wrote on “X.” “We are proud to be a free, independent, and sovereign nation.”
For the record, since his return to the White House, Donald Trump has publicly expressed his desire to annex Canada to make it the 51st state of the U.S., or to incorporate Greenland into the United States. These expansionist ambitions have been accompanied by concrete actions, such as the trade war with Canada and the abduction and arrest of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro earlier this year. Since then, the Trump administration has been striving to seize Venezuela’s oil reserves.
