David Jolly, the Democratic candidate for governor of Florida, stated in an exclusive interview with CiberCuba that he wishes to see the end of the Cuban dictatorship and a free island, while also questioning the consistency of President Donald Trump's foreign policy towards the island.
"I want to see the Cuban regime fall. I want to see a free Cuba and a free Cuban people," stated Jolly, who won the Democratic primary in August with 61% of the votes and will face the Republican Byron Donalds on November 3rd.
However, the candidate clarified his position by stating that it is not enough to pursue the downfall of the regime if that strategy endangers the health and lives of the Cuban people.
"I know that one of Marco Rubio's priorities would be to see the Cuban regime fall. But we cannot limit ourselves to pursuing a strategy to provoke its downfall if, at the same time, we are putting the health and lives of the Cuban people at greater risk," he stated.
Jolly also harshly criticized President Trump, accusing him of lacking a coherent foreign policy towards Cuba.
"I don't believe our current president has a sensible foreign policy and that ultimately, it is coherent," he said, recalling that Trump proposed U.S. investors participate in the Cuban hotel sector, which he described as a sign of "ignorance" for helping to sustain the regime.
Regarding the situation of Cubans with form I-220A and the thousands with stalled applications under the Cuban Adjustment Act, Jolly stated that the Trump administration drastically reduced approvals to "several hundred" per quarter, compared to the thousands that were processed previously, and promised to advocate for the federal government to reverse that trend.
On immigration matters, the candidate promised to suspend the 287(g) agreements that allow the use of state resources to detain individuals based on their language or immigration status, and to uphold due process for all residents of the state.
He described the situation in Doral with striking words: “A Venezuelan leader told me it felt like a hunting ground for people. There were children who were afraid to go to school because they didn't want to come home and find that their parents had disappeared.”
Jolly also mentioned the "Alligator Alcatraz tragedy," the detention center in the Everglades that operated between July 2025 and June 2026, and whose conditions were deemed inhumane by the inspector general of the Department of Homeland Security.
In response to his opponent's accusations that he represents "radical socialism," Jolly delivered a direct counterattack: "I reject socialism. I reject the Democratic Socialists of America. But what's important is that I reject socialism on both sides of the political spectrum."
He went further to note that "it is Donald Trump and the Republicans who are supporting Delcy in Venezuela and who have invited Putin to South Florida in December: a regime that backed Maduro, the Sandinistas, and Castro."
In economic terms, Jolly proposes a state fund for disasters that would replace the current system of homeowners insurance and reduce premiums by between 60% and 70%, and he accused Donalds of "lying" by describing that proposal as an additional tax.
The most recent polls in Florida show a tight race: among Cuban Americans, Donalds leads Jolly by nine points (51% to 42%), although among the overall group of Latino voters, Jolly is ahead with 48% to 43%.
A poll published this Wednesday placed Jolly with a 4.3-point lead over Donalds, although within the margin of error of ±4.8 points, reflecting the uncertainty surrounding a contest that will be decided on November 3.
Filed under: