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The former National Security Advisor John Bolton stated this Friday that "there is a strong case for regime change in Cuba" and was emphatic about defining what that change means, during an interview on the program "On Balance with Leland Vittert" from NewsNation.
"Regime change means regime change, not what we did in Venezuela or what we failed to do in Iran," Bolton stated.
"In Cuba, the upper echelons of government must leave the island, perhaps to exile in Mexico or wherever they wish to go, and control of the government must be returned to the Cuban people," he noted.
Bolton warned, however, that he is concerned the Trump administration might attempt to "repeat the Venezuela plan": to capture or kidnap Raúl Castro, who is 94 years old, based on the criminal charges recently filed by the Department of Justice.
In his view, that tactic "will not change anything in Cuba, just as it really did not change anything politically in Venezuela."
The former official noted that the United States has a strategic advantage that it did not have in Venezuela: "We have the Guantanamo Naval Base right on the island."
Nonetheless, he questioned whether the carrier strike group of the USS Nimitz—deployed in the Caribbean this week as part of Operation Southern Seas 2026—is truly prepared for military action.
Bolton urged to act cautiously and to involve the Cuban opposition before forcing any move.
"Clearly, we need to talk to key figures of the opposition in Cuba. The Cuban-American community, I'm sure, can be of enormous help," he said.
He warned that a hasty action could be "very harmful to the people of Cuba if the army and police remain with the regime."
Regarding the threat posed by the island, Bolton supported the arguments of Secretary of State Marco Rubio about the presence of Russian and Chinese intelligence in Cuba and its role as a sponsor of regional terrorism.
The former advisor described Cuba, Venezuela, and Nicaragua as "three old fighters supporting each other," and added: "If one of them falls completely, I believe the other two will fall as well."
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