Trump’s love of gold is no secret. From the gilded splendor of Trump Tower to Mar-a-lago’s gleaming ballroom, the president is known to revel in all that glitters.
But has a golden opportunity just arisen for Trump to take control of a tropical island complete with its own gold mine?
Bougainville, which is currently part of Papua New Guinea, voted overwhelmingly for independence in 2019, but the poll wasn’t binding. Now a local leader says he is open to a deal for it to become part of the United States.
Given the island’s strategic significance in any future war with China, it could be well worth its weight!
Bougainville’s president, former rebel commander Ishmael Toroama, says: ‘If the US comes and says, “Yes, we support Bougainville independence,” then, I can say, “Well, the Panguna mine is here. It’s up to you.”‘
‘Bougainville is for independence. It is only a matter of time,’ he told The World in October, setting 2027 as the target for full statehood.
At the center of the battle for independence lies Bougainville’s immense natural wealth — particularly the dormant Panguna mine, once one of the world’s biggest sources of copper and gold.
It’s estimated to still hold 5.84 million tons of copper and nearly 20 million ounces of gold — worth around $60 billion today.
Hellbound and Down 