Trump Eyes Venezuela as 51st State for $40 Trillion Oil Prize

15 articles · Updated · Fox News · May 11

Trump said he is considering making Venezuela the 51st U.S. state, tying the idea to the country’s estimated $40 trillion in oil reserves after the U.S.-backed removal of Nicolas Maduro.
1.23 million barrels per day of exports in April — a seven-year high — has strengthened the administration’s pitch that U.S. management is reviving Venezuela’s oil sector and broader economy.
Cabinet and White House energy officials have spent months courting major oil companies to return, with Exxon and Conoco long absent and Chevron remaining the only U.S. major with existing investments.
Delcy Rodriguez, Venezuela’s acting president, rejected any statehood scenario on Monday, saying Venezuelans would never give up their independence even as commercial ties with the U.S. reopen.
Congressional approval and Venezuelan consent would be required for annexation, making the proposal highly unlikely even as Trump has floated similar expansionist ideas involving Greenland, Canada, Cuba and Panama.

Is the U.S. rebuilding Venezuela's economy or creating a modern-day oil colony under the guise of a new partnership?

With elections delayed, is the U.S. prioritizing energy security over the restoration of a stable democracy in Venezuela?

Beyond oil, is the U.S. using Venezuela's mineral wealth to strategically challenge China's control over global supply chains?