Forum

Once the dust settles and the people of Venezuela calm down, should there be a vote on whether to petition the United States to make them a territory? Should Venezuela become a territory if it wants to?

What would be the benefits for the United States? Making Venezuela a U.S. territory would provide the U.S. with direct control over the world's largest proven oil reserves, estimated at over 300 billion barrels, allowing for increased domestic energy production and potentially driving down global oil prices to benefit American consumers and industries.

This could add millions of barrels per day to the market, exceeding the daily consumption of most countries and enhancing U.S. energy independence while reducing reliance on Middle Eastern suppliers.

Beyond oil, Venezuela's rich mineral deposits, including gold, iron, and coltan, would open new supply chains for U.S. manufacturing and technology sectors, countering dependencies on adversarial nations like China.

Geopolitically, it would strengthen U.S. influence in South America, diminishing Russian, Chinese, and Iranian footholds in the region and securing strategic ports and infrastructure for military and trade purposes.

Immigration pressures would ease, as economic improvements in Venezuela could stem the flow of millions of migrants crossing the U.S. southern border, reducing costs associated with border security and humanitarian aid (which has already exceeded $1.9 billion from FY2017-2022). Drug trafficking would decline, with better oversight disrupting networks like Tren de Aragua that smuggle narcotics into U.S. cities. Overall, this could boost the U.S. economy through new investment opportunities, job creation in energy sectors, and a more stable Western Hemisphere.

Benefits for Venezuela. For Venezuelans, territorial status could bring a rapid economic recovery by integrating into the U.S. system, reducing hyperinflation (which has plagued the country for years), and spurring GDP growth through access to American markets, capital, and technology. U.S. federal programs would extend benefits such as Social Security and Medicare, and provide infrastructure funding, similar to Puerto Rico, to improve healthcare, education, and roads that have deteriorated under current governance. Political stability might increase with U.S.-backed institutions promoting democracy and human rights, potentially ending authoritarian rule and reducing corruption.

Citizens could gain U.S. passports and citizenship pathways, enabling freer travel, work opportunities in the U.S., and protection from external threats. Oil revenues, currently mismanaged, could be reinvested locally under U.S. oversight, lifting millions out of poverty and restoring production to pre-crisis levels. This setup would also attract foreign investment, create jobs, and provide military security, fostering a safer environment free from gang violence and regional conflicts.

The downside is that military and security challenges arise. Integrating Venezuela as a U.S. territory would likely require a large-scale military intervention, demanding over 100,000 troops due to the country's size (twice that of Iraq) and population, leading to high casualties and a protracted occupation. Resistance from loyal Venezuelan forces, including special units, a 1.6 million-strong militia, and armed groups like colectivos and ELN guerrillas, could spark guerrilla warfare or civil war, creating a power vacuum that empowers criminal networks and complicates stabilization efforts, similar to U.S. experiences in Iraq and Afghanistan. This might escalate into low-intensity conflict without a clear exit strategy, entangling the U.S. in an open-ended commitment and shifting resources from other global priorities.

Economic burdens could be devastating. The U.S. would inherit a collapsed economy, including decimated infrastructure (electricity grids, hospitals, schools, and sewage systems), hyperinflation, and massive debt, requiring billions in reconstruction funding akin to post-war rebuilding. While Venezuela's oil reserves are vast, initial disruptions from conflict could halt production, delaying economic benefits and increasing U.S. energy costs in the short term. Extending federal programs like Social Security and Medicare to 28 million Venezuelans would strain U.S. budgets, potentially adding trillions in long-term liabilities without immediate tax revenue gains, exacerbating domestic fiscal pressures.

Geopolitical and diplomatic fallout could change the dynamic of the world. Annexation would reinforce perceptions of "Yankee imperialism" in Latin America, eroding U.S. credibility and straining alliances with countries like Colombia and Brazil, which oppose intervention and could suspend cooperation on issues like migration and trade. It risks backlash from adversaries like Russia, China, and Iran, who have stakes in Venezuela and might escalate support for the regime or retaliate elsewhere, such as in Ukraine or Taiwan. Violating international law and the UN Charter could invite global condemnation, weakening U.S. efforts to uphold norms in other conflicts and isolating it diplomatically.

Humanitarian and migration pressures could be off the scale. Intervention could worsen Venezuela's humanitarian crisis, triggering a new refugee wave beyond the existing 2.3-4 million exiles, overwhelming U.S. borders and regional neighbors while increasing aid costs (already over $1.9 billion from the U.S. in recent years). Internal violence and instability might exacerbate poverty and lawlessness, with narco-traffickers and armed groups thriving in chaos, indirectly boosting drug flows to the U.S. and undermining counter-narcotics goals.

Domestic political and legal hurdles could be extreme.  Public opposition in the U.S. is strong, with polls showing low support (around 25%) for military action, which could trigger congressional battles under the War Powers Resolution and divide the political base, including within the Republican Party. Legally, annexing a sovereign nation raises constitutional questions on territory acquisition, citizenship pathways, and representation, with no clear vital U.S. interest justifying the move and risks of prolonged entanglement eroding domestic support. This could lead to a public relations disaster if the operation fails, damaging U.S. global standing without achieving strategic gains.

But didn’t the US rebuild Germany and Japan after World War II? They were utterly destroyed, and cities vaporized. After reconstruction, the US could have stayed and assimilated both countries.

On one hand, Venezuela is a jackpot of wealth and a country to rebuild; on the other, the cost of its assimilation is staggering.

But what do you think?

If the people of Venezuela vote for United States admittance, should Venezuela become a territory?

Please give your opinion in the comment section below.