Florida Republican Rep. Carlos Giménez, the only Cuban-born member of Congress, is urging regime change in Cuba as the Trump administration considers a negotiated approach. Giménez says his goal is a democratic Cuba that is no longer an adversary of the United States, no longer a safe haven for hostile powers, and no longer a platform for foreign intelligence operations from countries such as China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea.
Giménez says there is no simple playbook for removing an entrenched regime. He argues, however, that the current Cuban government has so mismanaged and corrupted the system that it cannot meet basic needs: nightly blackouts, severe shortages of food and medicine, and growing desperation among the people. In response, citizens are coming out in large numbers, banging pots and pans at night and, in some cases, setting fire to Communist Party buildings. “The uprising is starting,” he says, comparing the moment to the popular movements that helped topple communist governments in Eastern Europe in the late 1980s.
He prefers change driven by the Cuban people themselves, noting that popular uprisings ultimately force regimes out when citizens say “enough is enough.” At the same time, Giménez warns that the regime is highly repressive: protesters risk arrest, injury, and death, and many are already being jailed. That repression, he says, is how the regime has clung to power for decades.
On Venezuela, Giménez rejects the view that recent actions amounted to a clean, decisive removal of Nicolás Maduro. He calls Delcy Rodríguez an interim dictator who is cooperating with the United States out of fear after what happened to Maduro. Giménez says Venezuela must still become a free, democratic state chosen by its people: he claims the opposition won a year ago and accuses Maduro of stealing the election. He names Elían González and María Corina Machado as waiting in the wings, saying they are the rightful government and have international recognition, and calls for new, legitimate elections so Venezuela can achieve stability and become a long-term friend of the United States.
Asked whether the administration’s posture in Venezuela suggests it might accept a similar outcome in Cuba, Giménez says he does not believe the president will accept an interim figure like Delcy Rodríguez as the final answer. He describes the administration’s approach as seeking stability, economic recovery, and a transitional reconciliation that ultimately leads to democracy—an outcome he supports, though some want faster change while others counsel patience.
As for a Cuba-specific strategy, Giménez advocates increasing and maintaining economic pressure, saying the Cuban government is at its weakest point and should not be allowed to escape consequences. Keep pressure on, he argues, and then evaluate what further steps the United States must take to promote the security interests of the U.S. and the freedom the Cuban people deserve.