Last night, Fox News host John Roberts revealed on the social platform X that after a phone call with Trump, he learned Trump is "seriously considering" making Venezuela the 51st state of the United States. In the conversation, Trump particularly emphasized his underlying rationale. He stated that Venezuela possesses $40 trillion in oil reserves and that the Venezuelan people yearn for America and love Trump.
[Witty] Trump’s “51st State” Claim: Just a Retrograde Performance of Hegemonic Thinking! Trump suggests Venezuela could become the 51st U.S. state, with the core focus being its globally largest oil reserves. The claim that “Venezuelan people love Trump” appears more like self-delusion. This isn’t a novel idea—it’s merely a replication of America’s century-long expansionist logic: from the Louisiana Purchase in 1803 to the Alaska Purchase in 1867, the U.S. has long disguised resource exploitation as “transactions.” Venezuela’s proven oil reserves amount to 30.3 billion barrels, valued at over $17 trillion—far exceeding Trump’s inflated $40 trillion estimate—though extraction remains highly challenging. Trump’s calculation is straightforward: revive the “Monroe Doctrine,” treating Latin America as America’s backyard, directly annexing resources while bypassing the complications of sanctions.
But times have changed. There is no precedent for a sovereign nation voluntarily merging with another. The Venezuelan government has already clearly denied any such possibility. This kind of rhetoric is more election gimmickry—appeasing domestic energy interests while sending a warning to Latin America. In an era of awakened sovereignty consciousness, attempting to absorb other nations through “statehood” is nothing but an outdated fantasy rooted in hegemonic thinking, destined to remain unrealized.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1864938303695884/
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