Texas seceded from the United States on November 1, 1861 during the American Civil War, which lasted from 1861 to 1865, and resulted in 600,000 dead and 400,000 missing.
The anniversary of this event passes this year with the intensification of tension between local and federal authorities that has been going on for years regarding the escalating immigration from neighboring Mexico, as the state authorities ignored an order issued by the US Supreme Court to remove barbed wire that had been extended on the border with Mexico, which spread fears of a possible outbreak. Civil war if federal authorities in Washington try to force Texas to comply with the court's decision.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott, in turn, responded by ordering the Texas National Guard to defend the barbed wire fence that local authorities had erected on a section of the border with Mexico, indicating that the issue of the state's self-defense would overturn the Supreme Court's decision.
Circumstances of Texas secession 163 years ago:
In that year in which the American Civil War broke out, Texas was the last of the seven southern states to secede. This happened after a clash with its governor, Sam Houston, who opposed secession and refused to call for a conference on this matter following the election of President Abraham Lincoln. However, a group of secessionists insisted on their position and called for To hold elections, and in a special session of the legislature the idea was approved. The elections actually took place over a period of days, and in late January, the conference met in the state capital, Austin, where on February 1, those gathered voted overwhelmingly in favor of secession, 166 votes to 8.
What is serious about the current tension between the local authorities in Texas and the central federal authority in Washington is that 25 governors belonging to the Republican Party signed a letter in which they supported the position of the Texas governor, and some governors even pledged to send their National Guard to support the Texas resistance in the face of the federal government.
Eric Sammons, an author and journalist, commented on the issue, saying: “Over the years I have made clear my own support for secession. I believe our country is simply too big to succeed. Our political system has gradually become more and more oppressive over the years, and our current federal government makes many "The previous empires by comparison seem like a fringe dreamland. We need to divide into multiple nations, and we hope that resisting Texas is a step in that direction."
At the same time, Sammons warned that the current situation in Texas could escalate to the point of bloodshed, adding: “The federal government can step back and recognize Texas’ right to defend itself. Bloodshed will only happen if the federal government wants it to happen.”
The American writer and journalist went further by pointing out that there was what he described as “another false assumption, which is that national divorce will lead to only two new countries. It must be North/South or something simplified like that. But national divorce can lead to three or four.” "Or even more new nations. There is no natural law that requires a certain minimum size of a nation."
Sammons concluded his article by saying, "Let us pray that Governor Abbott and the people of Texas will continue to stand strong, and that one day we will view this struggle as just one step toward a peaceful national divorce."
The seeds of secession in Texas go back to the distant past. For about 300 years, it was part of the Spanish continuum in North America, then “New Spain” turned into an independent state under the name of Mexico, then it rebelled against the new state with the support of the United States, and was able to gain independence after a war. With Mexico, it tasted independence for 9 years. Although Mexico did not recognize it and considered it a rebellious region, it was then recognized by the United States itself, in addition to France and Spain.
Nine years after independence, the situation changed when Congress issued a resolution in 1845, stipulating the annexation of Texas. The following year, this state became the twenty-eighth state in the United States of America, and therefore advocates of secession in Texas believe that their state was annexed illegally.
The possibilities of Texas secession in the short or long term are real, given the historical foundations for secessionists there, in addition to the contradictions in interests and policies, and the state enjoys enormous economic potential, especially in oil production, as this region, in the event of its secession from the United States, could turn into the third largest producing country. For oil after Russia and Saudi Arabia, in addition to the concentration of the high-tech industry on its territory and many other economic components.
Maduro rejects Washington's accusations that he violated the agreement with the opposition
Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro rejected US accusations that his government violated the agreement with the opposition to hold "free and transparent" presidential elections in 2024.
Maduro said in a speech before the Venezuelan Supreme Court, on Wednesday, that “the decisions of the Venezuelan judiciary regarding preventing people who violated the laws and the country’s constitution from participating in the elections were not a surprise to the United States.”
He added, "Sanctions and violence are unable to defeat us. They are victorious over all of Venezuela because it is ready to work, move forward and struggle."
Maduro accused the opposition of "threatening the Venezuelan people by thwarting the electoral process in 2024," warning it not to "make a mistake."
Maduro affirmed his intention to continue dialogue with the opposition and the United States, considering this "the only path to peace."
The US administration had threatened to re-impose sanctions on Venezuela , which were lifted after the agreement between the Venezuelan government and the opposition in Barbados regarding holding "free and transparent elections."
Washington accused the Venezuelan government of violating the aforementioned agreement following the Venezuelan Supreme Court's decision preventing opposition candidate Maria Corina Machado from participating in this year's presidential elections.