Trump Hints at Making Venezuela the 51st US State, Showcases Oil Tanker

US President Donald Trump has hinted at the possibility of Venezuela becoming the 51st state of the United States, as he showcased a tanker carrying one million barrels of Venezuelan oil.

According to a report by The Guardian, Trump made the remarks at a campaign rally in Corpus Christi, Texas, on Tuesday, describing an oil deal with Venezuela’s interim government as “the biggest oil win in history.”

“Venezuela is going to be a very prosperous country. Who knows, maybe it will become the 51st state of the United States very soon,” Trump said.

Trump has previously raised the possibility of bringing Greenland, Canada and Mexico under US control or incorporating them into the United States.

The oil agreement between Washington and Caracas was reached after a US military operation in Venezuela in January resulted in the capture of longtime Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.

Trump has claimed that the agreement will provide the United States with billions of barrels of oil. He has also asserted that the country is receiving the oil without any cost to American taxpayers.

Energy prices in the United States have risen amid the war with Iran and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a critical shipping route through which approximately 20 per cent of the world’s oil supply passes.

Trump has argued that access to Venezuelan oil will soon lead to a substantial reduction in US fuel prices.

However, critics have questioned the administration’s commitment to restoring democracy in Venezuela, arguing that its efforts to secure oil supplies have been more visible than its plans for a democratic transition. No election has been held in the country since Maduro’s capture.

The remarks come ahead of next week’s US midterm elections. Opinion polls indicate a decline in Trump’s approval ratings, while his foreign policy, including the war with Iran and tariffs imposed on goods from various countries, has faced criticism.