US President Donald Trump says he is “seriously considering” making Venezuela the 51st state of the United States.According to Fox News reporter John Roberts, Trump made the remarks during a conversation on Monday. A few months ago, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro was arrested in a military operation and an interim government led by Delcy Rodriguez took power in Caracas.Trump has repeatedly floated the idea of bringing foreign territories under U.S. control, including Greenland, Canada and Panama. However, his latest comments about Venezuela have raised eyebrows as the U.S. presence in the South American country grows following Maduro’s ouster.The United States has reopened its embassy in Caracas and direct flights between the two countries resumed last month. U.S. officials have also been holding talks with energy and mining companies as Washington steps up its involvement in Venezuela’s oil industry.Speaking at the White House on Monday, Trump called the U.S. actions in Venezuela “military genius.”“Venezuela is a very happy country right now,” Trump told reporter Sharyl Atkisson in an interview that aired last week.“They were miserable. Now they’re happy. It’s working great,” he said.“The amount of oil that’s going to be drilled is huge, the biggest in years. The big oil companies are using the biggest, most beautiful rigs you’ve ever seen,” the president added.Trump also said the United States plans to benefit from Venezuela’s vast oil reserves.“We are in the oil business,” Maduro said after his arrest earlier this year, discussing plans to sell Venezuelan oil internationally.Trump later claimed that U.S. oil companies were prepared to invest $100 billion to rebuild the country’s oil and gas infrastructure.Despite his remarks, Trump cannot legally make Venezuela a U.S. state without congressional approval and the consent of Venezuela itself.Secretary of State Marco Rubio told Congress in January that the United States was not preparing to take military action against Venezuela, but Trump continued to hint at broader ambitions for the country.In March, after Venezuela defeated Italy in the World Baseball Classic, Trump posted online: “Statehood, #51, anyone?”Rodriguez has yet to announce a clear timetable for democratic elections in Venezuela, leading to criticism that Washington is focused more on energy and economic interests than restoring democracy.“We are in a stabilizing phase,” Trump’s senior energy adviser Jarrod Argan recently told POLITICO.“This is really about getting energy trading flowing and funding day-to-day activities in Venezuela,” he added.
