President Donald Trump said Monday that he’s considering making Venezuela the 51st American state, months after removing former dictator Nicolas Maduro from power.
Trump spoke to Fox News on Monday, stating that he was “seriously considering” the proposition. The president has previously floated annexing Canada and Greenland.
The foreign policy of Trump’s second term, influenced by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, has placed a new emphasis on the United States’ role in stabilizing the Americas.
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According to Fox, Trump cited Venezuela’s $40 trillion worth of oil reserves as driving the decision.
“Venezuela loves Trump,” the president added on Monday.
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Following the Jan. 3 operation to capture Maduro and bring him back to the states to stand trial, the president has pressured American oil companies to return to Venezuela to boost oil production and refinement.
U.S. flights to Venezuela resumed earlier this month. Delcy Rodriguez, Venezuela’s interim president, spoke with American reporters who traveled on the first flight and vowed to hold new elections “sometime,” but declined to provide any details on the official timeline.