US military action in January 2026 that removed Nicolás Maduro and installed interim leadership under Delcy Rodríguez has produced ongoing diplomatic engagement and humanitarian challenges, yet these developments reinforce rather than erode Venezuela’s separate sovereignty. Formal admission as a new state would require congressional enabling legislation, Venezuelan constitutional consent or territorial cession, and a lengthy ratification process that current bilateral statements and interim governance arrangements show no sign of initiating. Trader consensus at roughly 98 percent against the outcome therefore reflects the absence of any enabling act, annexation treaty, or domestic political coalition supporting such a step by the December 2026 resolution date. The narrow remaining pathways would involve an abrupt reversal in US-Venezuelan relations or an unforeseen congressional initiative, both of which remain outside established precedent and current policy signals.